The witnesses over advocate Sharbatyan’s murder case refuse giving preliminary investigation testimonies
07:43, December 10, 2013 | News, Other news | Right to Fair Trial, Right to Life
At the court hearing over the criminal case of Advocate Samvel Sharbatyan’s murder held on December 3, the sister of murdered advocate witness Angela Aslikyan and her daughter Tatevik Aslikyan, as a result of a dispute about whom the advocate was murdered on November 18, 2012 in “Mush” restaurant located in Shahumyan village, refrained from separate paragraphs of their preliminary investigation testimonies. Angela Aslikyan, involved as a witness over the criminal case, is the mother of Hayk Aslikyan, a serviceman in military service, whereas, Tatevik Aslikyan is his sister.
Angela and Tatevik Aslikyans, as well as previous interrogated witnesses Hayk Aslikyan and Eduard Khlghatyan declared in the court that they had been directed by the investigator while giving preliminary investigation testimonies. Nonetheless, it was not unmistakable that mother and daughter witnesses, by refraining from their certain preliminary investigation testimonies, were attempting in the court to give evidence in line with Hayk Aslikyan’s testimonies provided during the court hearing of November 5. Tatevik Aslikyan stated in the court that in the last paragraph of her testimony given to investigator on November 29, 2012 she mentioned data the details of which were not known to her.
“But since a conclusion needed to be written and I did not know how the fight happened, the investigator told me that Hayk wrote the same in his testimony. And based on that I wrote the same”, pointed out the investigator. Nonetheless, Tatevik Aslikyan’s answers to the questions of Judge Narine Hovakimyan regarding being directed by the investigator were evasive.
“It means, the investigator told you the contents of Hayk’s evidence”, asked the Judge.
“I repeat myself but related to the fight he did not thoroughly state, who they were, between who the argument was”, answered the witness.
“Did the investigator inform you about it?” asked the accusing party.
“The investigator inquired from me what I knew about the dispute, I told him then I did not know the details and only knew there was an unequal dispute, but with whom and how I did not know. The investigator said Hayk had written so and asked if he had told me to write the same. I answered no, but since Hayk had written I would also write so.
To the question of accusing party Petros Martirosyan whether the witness had talked with her brother about her evidence, if she inquired from her brother whether or not he had given such evidence to the investigator, the witness replied,
“I asked it, Hayk told me he had given such evidence.”
To the question of the accusing party, Tatevik Aslikyan said she had told it Hayk on the first day of giving evidence to the investigator. “I told Hayk I had given such evidence to the investigator, I gave testimonies based on the evidence you have given to the investigator, I asked if he had given such evidence. Hayk replied yes”.
Later the accusing prosecutor Petros Martirosyan presented the preliminary investigation testimonies of Tatevik Aslikyan to the court. The accusing party asked the witness to interrupt him in case she encountered such opinion in her testimonies, which she did not share. “Upon sitting up from the table and leaving the restaurant an unpleasant conversation occurred between her uncle, Artak and Samvel Diloyans. At the entrance they began swearing and pulling each other.” Witness Tatevik Aslikyan interrupted the accusing party.
“I did not hear those details from Hayk”, told the witness but asked the accusing party to continue. “During that period he uncle slapped one of them for profanities in his address, after which a mixed fight began. Seeing he could not stop the fight, he went to call Edo Khlghatyan for help and upon return he found Artak, Chugun( Aren Veranyan) and Samvel Diloyan kicking his uncle on different parts of feet and head. According to hayk they were brutally beating his uncle lying on the ground all covered in blood. One of them also fired a shot at his uncle and they ran away from there”, informed Tatevik Aslikyan in her preliminary testimonies. After reading the evidence the accusing party asked the witness, “After your testimony, you immediately jumped to this paragraph, can you explain why? However, the latter did not want to hear the witness’ answers, “If the court is willing, she can continue”, he stated.
For 4 hours in a row, Samvel Sharbatyan’s sister Angela Aslikyan gave contradicting testimonies in the court. The latter also notified that her preliminary investigation evidence had been directed by the investigator. Accusing party Petros Martirosyan asked Angela Aslikyan to explain what direct word stood for, the witness could not explain. After the testimonies provided by the witnesses the defense party came up with statements in the court.
In response to the opinion of the accusing party Petros Martirosyan stated in the court, according to which, as a result of testimonies the 3 accused appeared on the defendant’s chair, Samvel Diloyan and Aren Veranyan’s defense attorney Ruben Hakobyan replied.
“No it is not a result of testimonies but unprofessionalism”. The victim’s legal successor Hasmik Manucharyan motioned to the court to summon the trial conducting investigator. The forthcoming court trial is scheduled for December 17.
View the statements of the defense attorneys in the video material.