A regular court session in the case of Professor Armen Charchyan, deputy of the “Armenia” Faction of the National Assembly, director of the “Izmirlian Medical Center” was held on 20 March, at the Avan seat of the Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction. Presiding Judge Vahe Misakyan.
Charchyan is accused of forcing to participate in the 20 June, 2021 elections. A few days before the voting (18 June), a part of the recording of Charchyan’s meeting with the hospital employees was distributed, which the law enforcement officials describe as obstructing the exercise of the voter’s free will. The article incriminated to Charchyan also refers to forcing to vote against someone.
According to Iravaban.net, Amalya Gevorgyan, the former head of press and public relations of “Izmirlyan” Medical Center, testified during the court session called today. It should be noted that the session started with a delay of about an hour, because Armen Charchyan’s defense attorney Erik Aleksanyan appeared in court late due to the fact of another session.
The witness said that she did not remember on which day the meeting took place, but she said that she was informed from the administration about the meeting being organized in the big hall. “They said that Mr. Charchyan came as a guest because he was on vacation at that time.”
She was present at the meeting, and in addition she made a video. Prosecutor Hayk Hovhannisyan asked Amalya Gevorgyan if the gatherings in that hall are often videotaped. The witness gave a positive answer. “I took a video on the specified day with my personal phone, iPhone 12 Pro Max, which is now with you.”
Amalya Gevorgyan did not remember much of Armen Charchyan’s speech that day; she only mentioned that it was about fulfilling the civic duty. According to the witness, after the news of the arrest of the director of the “Izmirlian” Medical Center, she watched the video she had taken and noticed that the duration of the shared recording and the video she had were different. “I informed the lawyers about it. I sent the video in electronic version to Aram Vardevanyan.”
When asked by the prosecutor, what impression witness had had after watching the video, the latter stated that she “did not delve into the content”. “Maybe nothing negative happened that day. We saw off Mr. Charchyan with applause.”
When asked why the latter left his position in the MC, Amalya Gevorgyan stated that she received an offer to switch to another job and accepted it. The prosecutor made several quotes from Armen Charchyan’s speech and asked the witness to comment on them.
Details in the video.
Yevgenya Hambardzumyan
