“Accident mechanism was totally different”
On November 9th the court of general jurisdiction of Armenia’s Kotayk region approved the petition of the prosecutor’s office to arrest actor Vartan Petrosyan for a car accident resulting in the death of people.
The actor’s lawyer, Nikolay Baghdasaryan says that the arrest warrant was not legally justified. The lawyer has appealed the first instance court’s decision to the upper instance. He also says that he has submitted a petition to replace the investigator. Vartan Petrosyan and his lawyer have spoken about the investigator assigned to the case. The investigator, Haik Hakobyan, asked tricky questions to take testimony from Vartan Petrosyan. The lawyer says the investigator has insulted the actor saying that he “is playing a role” in the process of investigation, as well as once he explained the lawyer’s absence by saying that he had gone to a party.
“I have also written in my petition that the investigator has tried to take testimony in my absence, which is a law violation. He told Vartan Petrosyan that I had gone to a party and he could give testimony. However, he did not give testimony, and even if he did, it cannot be used in court,” said the lawyer.
The lawyer says the medical and court expertise has proven that during the accident Vartan Petrosyan was not driving drunk. “At present we cannot bring details about the speed because the mechanism of the accident is totally different than what people assumed, including me. Now we are discussing the mechanism of the accident to have an idea about it. As the preliminary investigation went to a wrong direction, wrong conclusions have been made.
As the necessary investigation and trial was not done, we do not understand the real picture. We need time to clearly understand what really happened and what the accident mechanism was,” said the lawyer. He says that experts are working in the place of the accident to collect facts to send for expertise abroad. The lawyer says Armenia does not have the modern technologies that would allow to fully restore the picture of the accident. “Armenia does not have the technologies to define the speed and precisely restore the picture of the accident. This incident has caused public alarm and we want the society know what really happened there,” said Vartan Petrosyan’s lawyer.
Human rights defender office representatives visited the hospital for arrested people. The ombudsman’s spokesperson Naira Karmirshalyan said that Yeranuhi Tumanyan, who is the person in charge of relations with arrested people, visited the actor. Doctors told her that the patient’s health condition was average heavy. “Vartan Petrosyan told he was fine and better compared to the previous day. He was in bed, but still feeling good. He did not complain of anything or anyone,” said the ombudsman’s spokesperson.
The accident happened on October 20th, at 10:10p.m., on the highway between Yerevan and Yeghvard. As a result of the accident two cars crashed (BMW-320 and Vaz21214), resulting in the death of Edward and Edgar Hakobyans. After the accident Artur Hakobyan, Haik Hakobyan, Emma Hakobyan and Vartan Petrosyan were hospitalized. Preliminary investigation has instituted legal proceedings against Vartan Petrosyan.
Since several days ago civic initiatives have been launched to collect signatures to release Vartan Petrosyan. Former Prime-Minister Armen Darbinyan and leader of Republic party Aram Z. Sargsyan have submitted personal reference letters asking to set Vartan Petrosyan free. Parliamentary ARF faction representatives Armen Rustamyan, Aghvan Vartanyan, Artsvik Minasyan and Armen Babayan have sent a reference letter to the general prosecutor as well to guarantee proper behavior and ask to set the actor free.
Intelligentsia representatives have submitted an open letter to the general prosecutor writing that the actor is treated as a dangerous criminal and he does not deserve such treatment in case when his guilt has not been even proven. They claim that the fact of arresting the actor right after being released from hospital, as well as keeping him in the investigation department in such heavy health condition is human rights abuse.
“In consideration of the mentioned fact and the name Vartan Petrosyan has earned in the society, his clean civic records, his public commitment that he will not escape from punishment whatever it is, the fact that he is in a very difficult psychological condition, we are asking to set him free as soon as possible by replacing the arrest warrant with this letter which will serve as a guarantee. We assure and guarantee that Vartan Petrosyan will not escape from justice and will not impede the investigation in any way,” writes the open letter.
By Ofelya Hovhannisyan
Photo by aravot.am
