Today the first court session on the case
against operative police officers of Yerevan Kentron Police Department Khachik
Bahbudaryan and Artak Barseghyan started at the Court of General Jurisdiction
of Kentron and Nork Marash Administrative Districts of Yerevan. The trial is
chaired by Judge Mnatsakan Martirosyan.

The operative police officers are
charged under Articles 314 and 309.2 of the Armenian Criminal Code. According
to the indictment, they made the official forgery and undertook actions coupled
with use of violence that evidently exceeded their authority. They are in
detention since 18 December 2012. 

Robert Hovsepyan is recognized as a
victim in the case. The prosecutor on the case is John Pharkhoyan. The court
room was full of people and the overwhelming majority of them came to support
the defendant police officers, some of them wore police uniforms.

To remind, on 3 October 2012 Robert Hovsepyan together with some other men was summoned to Kentron police station
of Yerevan Police Department being suspected of committing a theft. According
to Robert, he was interrogated in the absence of a lawyer and forced to confess
in seven counts of theft. He was kept in police custody until afternoon of 4 October
and was not allowed to contact his parents to notify about his arrest or to
consult with a lawyer.

A couple of days later Robert told
his lawyer that he had been subjected to beatings with a baton by 3-4 police
officers and was hit with a metal rod on his ear. When police officers realized
that he was not going to confess, they brought in two homosexuals who started
doing some actions. He thought that if was supposed to be jailed in any case,
it was better not to be dishonored and admitted everything. On 4 October 2012
he signed self incriminating testimony written by the investigator confessing in
committing theft (7 counts). Only then he was allowed to call his parents and
inform about his arrest. The fact of apprehension and arrest was officially
recorded on October 4^th. Then he was transferred to the Temporary Detention
Facility of Police (TDF).

Following complaints on the fact of
torture by police officers submitted by Robert Hovsepyan and his mother, the Armenian
Prosecutor General referred the case to the Special Investigation Service (SIS).
According to the conclusion of the forensic examination, there were different
injuries on the young man’s body caused by beatings, in particular, bruises (including
those, caused by long application of handcuffs) and scratches. On top of that,
there were superficial cuts on abdomen area and his hands, inflicted by
Hovsepyan himself as a sign of protest. As a result of forensic examination, hearing
problems and possible rib injuries caused by beating were observed. The forensic
concluded that medium gravity bodily harm with prolonged health disorder has
been inflicted to Hovsepyan.

On 18 December 2012 SIS
instituted a criminal case against two operative police officers of Yerevan
Kentron Police Department Khachik Bahbudaryan and Artak Barseghyan.

The defense attorney of the
defendants submitted a motion requesting to postpone the hearing. The defense
attorney justified his motion with the need to clarify with his clients their stand
regarding the charges. The next session is scheduled for 29 March 2013 at 3:00
p.m.

By Anna Melikyan