On June 12 a criminal case has been instituted against the observer of the Helsinki Association Arman Veziryan under the Article 118 of the RA Criminal Code (battery or committal of other violent actions). A preventive measure of written obligation not leave a place was applied to him.

Veziryan is accused for hitting a citizen Tigran Manukyan during the incident took place on April 30 during the pre election campaign. Until June 12 the observer of Helsinki Association had a status of victim in the same case.

Arman Veziryan told www.hra.am that on April 30 as an observer was present on distribution of campaign materials carried out by one of the candidates of the Armenian National Congress. In the yard of the house located in 126/1 Sedrak Sargsyan in Yerevan, a man when noticed that campaign materials are distributed , went out and started to scream.

18-year-old young man who was distributing the materials apologized and left the yard. “This man demanded to come back and take the booklet. I was standing near the gate and did not allow the guy come back, I approached to take the booklet and was going to leave then. And all of a sudden, without saying a word, this man started to curse and hit my face”, tells Arman Veziryan.

The same day Arman Veziryan has submitted a report to the Police. In the evening the Police found Tigran Manukyan who committed violence towards the observer and interrogated him.

On May 15 SIS Senior Investigator K. V. Sharoyan decided to institute a criminal case on the fact of battery committed by Tigran Manukyan in relation to Arman Veziryan under the Article 118 of the RA Criminal Code, start a proceeding and carry out a preliminary investigation.

In the decision it is written that Tigran Manukyan “hit twice with his fist in Arman Veziryan’s face with the intention to inflict injury. He inflicted damage in the form of bruise near his inferior eyelid which does not contain features of light damage to health.”

Forensic doctor has recorded the injuries on May 1. Arman Veziryan says he did not hit Tigran Manukyan. “I just tried to prevent him from approaching to me by putting my right hand on his chest.”

From the first day of interrogation Manukyan says that although he talked loudly with the observer he did not hit him, in contrary, Arman Veziryan had hit him.

Manukyan also was sent to forensic doctor. The doctor recorded a scratch in the left part of his forehead but proceeding was not instituted against Veziryan.

Lawyer of the Helsinki Association Nina Karapetyan explains the institution of the case against her client by the motion on changing the volume of the accusation.

On May 25 she has motioned to supplement the accusation against Manukyan and apply the Article 149 as well (Hindrance to implementation of the right to elect, to the work of election commissions or to the implementation of the authority of the person participating in elections.) because the incident took place during the pre election campaign while implementing the observer’s duties.

This motion was rejected by the investigator and prosecutor. A criminal case against Arman Veziryan has been instituted on June 12 instead.

“Our authorities are not willing even to discuss any situation concerning the elections. They tried to reconcile, silence, close the case but because they did not succeed, they tried to solve the issue this way”, said the lawyers in the interview to one of the media.

During the interview with www.hra.am Arman Veziryan told that while submitting the report to the Police, investigator offered him to drop the complaint. “He said – reconcile, we will close the case and you can go”, tells Arman Veziryan. He also said that Tigran Manukyan’s relatives contacted him many times ad asked to drop the complaint.

However Arman Veziryan is determined. «I am not going to drop my complaint and will continue to struggle. Let the court decide who is guilty»

The Article 118 of the RA Criminal Code foresees a punishment with a fine in the amount of up to 100 minimal salaries or with arrest for the term of up to 2 months.