The court of primary jurisdiction of Center and Nork-Marash communities of Yerevan still continues the hearings on the murder of Tigran Naghdalian, the Chairman of the Council of RA Public TV and Radio Company, committed on December 28, 2002 (see YPC Weekly Newsletter, September 19-25, 2003). At the September 30 session, a decision on the change of witness interrogation order was reached: the spouse of Hovhannes Harutiunian, the defendant (charged with complicity and illegal storage of arms), Gayaneh Melkonian was allowed to give testimony out of turn. Gayaneh Melkonian, in particular, presented to the court a note from her husband according to which Armen Sargsian (charged as the main client of the crime) ordered the murder. The witness explained his intention to give testimony out of turn by the fact that she was constantly threatened by phone.
At October 2 session, the defendant Hovhannes Harutiunian refused to answer the questions confirming his testimony given to preliminary investigation bodies (see YPC Weekly Newsletter, March 8-14, 2003). At October 3 session the court accepted the petition of Armen Sargsian’s new attorney on giving her enough time for studying the case.
The next session is scheduled for October 17.
Meanwhile on September 29, the Political Council of “Respublika” opposition party, of which Aram Sargsian, Armen Sargsian’s brother, is a member, disseminated address to international organizations, heads of accredited diplomatic missions of OSCE member-countries in Armenia. The address urges to influence RA authorities and the court to prevent lack of order and transfer the hearings on Tigran Naghdalian’s murder into the legal field.
