HCAV Demands that the Lori Region Court of Common Jurisdiction reverse their decision

The hearing of the claim of Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor demanding the Lori Region Court of Common Jurisdictionto reverse their decision is scheduled for 1:00 p.m., on October 1, 2011, at the RACriminal Court of Appeals.

The Lori Region Court of Common Jurisdiction presided over by Judge Marine Melkonyan, rejected HCAV’s claim against the May 3, 2011 decision of Vaghinak Martirosyan, the investigator of the Lori Region Investigative Division of the Main Investigation Bureau of the RA Police, to reject the initiation of the criminal case. 

On February 15, 2011, around 5:00 p.m., the police closed a 1 km section of the Vanadzor-Yerevan road and stopped traffic for an hour from the intersection of Vanadzor-Stepanavan towards the entry to Vanadzor. 

Anubakh Hambaryan, Head of the Lori Region Police Department, Sergo Avetisyan, Head of Vanadzor Police Department, Meruzhan Karapetyan, former Commander of the 5th officer squadron of the 2nd officer battalion of the RA Traffic Police, and several police officers obstructed the entry to the city for the owners of vehicles with Georgian registration plates, who were drivers from Vanadzor and Gyumri, depriving them of their constitutional right of free movement and participation in peaceful assemblies, demonstrations, and marches. 

The investigative body did not consider several existing facts objectively during the preparation of the materials and based their decision to reject the initiation of the case only on the testimony of the police officers.

By deciding not to initiate a case, the investigative body illegally protected the violators by transferring the blame onto the Autograder, stating that the engine malfunctioned; however, there are recordings where you can clearly hear the sound of the engine. 

The court qualified the actions of the police officers as lawful, stating that they were directed towards ensuring the safety of the citizens and smooth flowing traffic.