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“I consider Syunik Region Court of Common Jurisdiction, which is based in Stepanakert, as extraordinary in terms of the RA legislation. It serves the administrative district of Syunik region, excluding the area of military unit firing range. In this respect, I find it extraordinary”, stated Artur Sakunts during the court trial by motioning to recognize it as such.

The court trial over the death case of Hayk Kaleyan launched at Syunik Region Court of Common Jurisdiction in the sitting of Stepanakert on June 20. The previous court session was cancelled by the claim of Artur Sakunts, representative of the victim’s successor and Chairman of Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor office. The copes of the criminal case materials were not provided to the aggrieved party after the preliminary investigation was competed and Kaleyan family was denied a chance to get acquainted with them prior to the court trial and administer adequate defense.

The preliminary investigation body has qualified this case of the serviceman’s death as a suicide. In conformity with that version, intending to commit a suicide Hayk Kaleyan fired three gunshots in the area of his abdomen from self-attached machine gun and died after being transported to Martuni military hospital.

Within the frames of the criminal case, 5 fellow servicemen, 3 out of which didn’t have a defense attorney, are accused in inflicting Hayk Kaleyan to commit a suicide.  During the court trial one of them refused to be presented by the defense attorney provided to him by the court, whereas, the other two expressed willingness to partake in the hearing without one. The court allowed the 3 defendants to involve an advocate by the next court hearing. The defense attorneys of the two defendants were members of NKR Chamber of Advocates, which according to Sakunts, contradicts the RA law, because in order to participate in the RA judicial proceedings, the representatives from Chamber of Advocates of a foreign country should have a licensure issued by the RA Chamber of Advocates.

“Naturally, the judge declined the motion by justifying that carrying out defense was of utmost importance”, stated Artur Sakunts by notifying that procedural issues would be addressed during the upcoming court trial scheduled for July 3.

It is worth noting that 18-year-old Hayk Kaleyan only managed to fulfill 74 days of his military service in the RA Armed Forces. He was conscripted to the army from Sevan Territorial Military Commissariat of Gegharkunik region on June 25 and began military service in #3 military unit of Martuni, NKR.  It should be also noted that this death case wasn’t addressed in the official releases disseminated by the MoD.

The soldier’s family rejects the version brought up by preliminary investigation body.

Source:  http://jfhr.am/