On January 20 the RA Court of Appeals for criminal and military cases made a decision on the murder of Tigran Naghdalian, the Chairman of the Council of Public TV and Radio Company, committed on December 28, 2002. The consideration of the case in the court of secondary jurisdiction started on December 16 last year basing on the appeals of five defendants Armen Sargsian, John Harutiunian, Felix Arustamian, Gegham Shakhbazian and Grigor Petrosian. As it has been reported, on November 18, 2003, by the decision of the court of primary jurisdiction of Center and Nork-Marash communities of Yerevan these individuals were sentenced to various imprisonment terms (see details in YPC Weekly Newsletter, November 14-27, 2003).
The Court of Appeals ruled that the charges against Armen Sargsian, John Harutiunian, Felix Arustamian, Gegham Shakhbazian and Grigor Petrosian were justified not only by their testimony but also by other evidence presented on the case. The court impeached credibility to the testimony of Armen Sargsian that he was not the orderer of the crime, as well as to the testimony of Felix Arustamian that he refused to execute the crime of his own accord. The court also dismissed the statement of Grigor Petrosian that he had become an involuntary accomplice in the crime.
Thus, the sentences of the court of primary jurisdiction for Armen Sargsian, John Harutiunian, Felix Arustamian and Gegham Shakhbazian were left unchanged. The appeal of Grigor Petrosian was secured in part: for the assistance provided to the investigation his term of imprisonment was reduced from seven to five years.
