TWO POLICE OFFICERS ACCUSED OF BEATING DETAINEE GRANTED AMNESTY

10.11.2013 18:42 epress.am

Two security officers accused of beating Robert Hovsepyan while the
latter was in police custody were found guilty today by the Court of
Kentron and Nork Marasha Administrative Districts of Yerevan. Helsinki
Association for Human Rights observer Zaruhi Hovhannisyan informed
Epress.am that the two officers, Khachik Bakhbudaryan and Artak
Barseghyan, however, were released after the verdict was announced
because of the general amnesty applied to them.

The officers were accused of abuse of office and exceeding their
authorities, causing significant harm to another and to the state.

According to the indictment, the officers detained Hovsepyan and beat
him in order to get him to confess to a series of thefts. This they
did on Oct. 3; meanwhile, they wrote in a report that thety detained
Hovhannisyan on Oct. 4.

In court, Hovsepyan said he was beaten by not only these two officers,
but also several other officers. The victim claimed that police
officers “brought faggots to the station and threatened to ruin me”.

Hovsepyan also said former chief of investigations at Kentron police
station Artur Lazarian told the two officers, “Beat him until he
confesses [to the crime].”

In court, Lazarian denied this, as well as the victim’s other claim
that he gave Hovsepyan brandy and said, “Drink up, relax; well done
for confessing.”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress