On July 29 the court of primary jurisdiction of Center and Nork-Marash Communities of Yerevan started the hearing of the murder of Tigran Naghdalian, the Chairman of the Council of the RA Public TV and Radio Company, committed on December 28, 2002 (see details in YPC Weekly Newsletter, March 1-7, 8-14 and 15-21, 2003). At this and the subsequent sessions of August 12 the sentence was read.
In total 13 people are introduced charges with regard to the murder. The prosecution considers the order of the crime to be Armen Sargsian – the brother of Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsian, killed during the terrorist attack in the Parliament on October 27, 1999, and of Aram Sargsian, the member of the Political Council of the opposition "Respublika" party. Armen Sargsian is introduced charges on Items 1 and 3 of Article 17-99 of the RA Criminal Code (commitment of premeditated murder with aggravating circumstances for profit and in relation with the professional and public duty performance by the deceased). John Harutiunian, considered to be the direct implementer of the crime, is charged with the same Article as well as with Part I of Art. 232 (illegal acquisition, wearing and strange of arms and ammunition). Four other defendants are charged with accomplicity and illegal storage of arms – Hovhannes Harutiunian, Gegham Shakhbazian, Felix Arustamian and Grigor Petrosian. Two others – Samvel Abrahamian and Samvel Harutiunian – are charged with concealing a crime (Art. 205, Part I) and illegal storage of arms. Leva Harutiunian, Khachik Ahaghinian, Nshan Muradian and Rafik Melkonian are charged with concealment of the crime, and Armen Manasian – with illegal storage of arms. All the defendants are arrested, but for the latter three who were obliged to stay in town – as a preventive punishment.
The session of August 19 started with the testimony of John Harutiunian. At the hearings of September 2 in the court room the video recording of the examination of Harutiunian by the preliminary investigation bodies was shown, after which the defendant continued his testimony. Afterwards defendant Felix Harutiunian was summoned, who pleaded not guilty and refused the testimony given by him during the investigation.
The next session of the court on the murder of Tigran Naghdalian is scheduled for September 5.
