SACKED POLICE CHIEF SHUNS TORTURE TRIAL
Tatevik Lazarian
RFE/RL
27.07.2010
Armenia — A court in the town of Hrazdan holding the trial of four
police officers accused of ill-treating a man who died in police
custody, 27July 2010.
The recently sacked police chief of the central Armenian town of
Charentsavan on Tuesday continued to avoid testifying at the ongoing
trial of his former subordinates accused of ill-treating a man who
died in local police custody.
Norik Heboyan is regarded by both the defendants and the victim’s
relatives as a key witness who could shed more light on the
circumstances Vahan Khalafian’s death.
Khalafian, 24 was among several local residents arrested by the
Charentsavan police on April 13. He was hospitalized with severe
injuries and died several hours later.
State prosecutors say Khalafian stabbed himself to death after being
tortured by Major Ashot Harutiunian and the three other police officers
standing trial. Khalafian’s relatives, backed by some human rights
activists, insist that he was tortured to death and that investigators
have failed to hold accountable all local police officials responsible
for his brutal treatment.
Heboyan was sacked as head of Charentsavan’s police department in
late May. The chief of the national police service, Alik Sargsian,
accused him of “negligence” and said he has “no right to continue to
work in the department.”
Nonetheless, both Heboyan and his deputy Samvel Tonoyan avoided
prosecution. Unlike his boss, Tonoyan was not sacked despite being
linked with the incident by the dead man’s relatives. According to
some media reports, Khalafian was found dead shortly after Tonoyan
arrived at the Charentsavan police station.
The police official denied any involvement in the torture when
he testified at a court in the nearby town of Hrazdan on July
21. Heboyan was also due to give testimony on that day but failed to
show up without any explanation. The presiding judge, Mesrop Makian
interrupted court proceedings as a result.
Heboyan also failed to attend the next court session held on Tuesday.
In a letter to the judge, he claimed to have left Armenia on July 22
in order to receive medical treatment in an unnamed foreign country.
He said he will stay there for an “indefinite period of time.”
Heboyan also told the court that he stands by his pre-trial testimony
and wants it to be read out during the trial. Both the defendants
and the Khalafian family demanded, however, that he testify in person.
“There is no proof that Heboyan is in need of treatment,” said Artak
Zeynalian, one of the family’s legal representatives. “His behavior
suggests that he is guilty.”
Seda Safarian, the main defendant’s lawyer, likewise suggested that
the former Charentsavan police chief knows more about the custody
death. “I just want to clarify whether his subordinates had the
audacity to commit so many violations on that day [without his
approval,]” she told RFE/RL’s Armenian service.
Judge Makian responded by adjourning the trial until August 18. He
ordered court officials to ascertain whether Heboyan is indeed sick
and, if necessary, ensure his presence at the trial.
Heboyan is not the first witness in the case to leave the country in
suspicious circumstances. Two Charentsavan residents, who were among
those detained on April 13, emigrated to Belgium and Russia just days
after Khalafian’s death.
Artur Sakunts, an Armenian human rights campaigner who met both men
before their departure, claims that at least one of them was also
beaten up in detention. Sakunts has also accused the police of forcing
them to go abroad to avoid more embarrassing accounts of torture. The
police and prosecutors deny these allegations.
From: A. Papazian