It was a Murder

On June 15, 2011, Arman Yengibaryan died at the entry of “Garegin Nzhdeh” metro station as a result of gunshots fired by a police official.

A preliminary investigation over the incident has been conducted at SIS. As a result, the activities of the Police officials were assessed as unlawful and the case was closed. Yesterday we had an interview with advocate Edmon Marukyan, representative of Sergey Yengibaryan, the father of deceased Arman Yengibaryan. 

- What do you think about closing the criminal case?

- We should undertake the following measures: We must apply to the SIS in the first place with an aim to obtain the decision over closing the case, and appeal it, because, we believe, Arman Yengibaryan’s right to life has been violated and the activities of the police officials have been unlawful, in fact, the incident was a murder. According to the victim’s parents, Arman Yengibaryan had no connection with the bandit assaults. Besides, it was reported by the Police that there had been a call about a person attempting to break into an apartment and based on the received information, the police officials pursued Yengibaryan. At first, they had a talk with him, then, allowed him to leave. It means if the police officials wanted to neutralize him, they could have forcefully bought him to the Police Station from there. But the police officials allowed him to leave, pursued him and later shot him dead. The fact that he had made an attempt to enter an apartment is not yet a crime. Therefore, there is no point talking about pursuing and neutralizing a criminal.

- Does it mean Yengibaryan was not neutralized in the crime scene or during the crime attempt? 

- Yes, in fact he was not at the point of committing a crime, and no evidence regarding the previous crimes has been found so far. Separate investigation over the bandit assaults is underway. I can predict the outcome of this case. They are going to incorporate all these cases into one court proceeding, because suspect Arman Yengibaryan is dead. And according to the RA Criminal Procedure Code, if the suspect or the accused dies during the court proceedings, the criminal case is closed. But we should be appealing the case of murder to reinstate the court proceedings and to have the culprits over the case incur liability. As to the bandit assaults, Arman Yengibaryan’s representatives should have a chance of defense. No such opportunity has been provided to us so far and we cannot dispute that the bandit assaults had not been carried out by the victim.

- According to the law-enforcers, the victims of bandit assaults recognized Yengibaryan as the perpetrator of the assaults. How accurate are those testimonies? 

- Prior to Yengibaryan’s murder, another suspect had been arrested based on the testimonies of the same eyewitnesses. Within the frames of this particular case, a disciplinary fine was appointed against Judge Samvel Mnatsakanyan and so he was dismissed from his position. While, the criminal prosecution against the arrested person was terminated. It means, the same eyewitnesses pointed to that person as the perpetrator of the bandit assaults, but later stated that same thing about Yengibaryan. The eyewitnesses turned out to be mistaken in the first case and could have blundered over Arman Yengibaryan case as well.

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