Today the regular court session on the murder of conscript soldier Lyuks Stepanyan’s case took place in the Court of General Jurisdiction of Tavush marz. At the last session on March 20 the court had publicized some documents of the criminal case, including the protocol on examination of the locus delicti, the expert opinions, the victim Hrach Sargsyan’s preliminary inquiry evidences, but the examination of the real evidences was not carried out on the assumption of the end of business day.
The participants and attendees watched a video of investigative examination. The examination was performed three days after the incident, on 18 May, 2013.
The participants of the trial had the opportunity to see the place and to get a view on the happening. The accused Davit Khachatryan showed in details what happened on the day of the crime on 15 May, 2013. While the participants were watching the video, Lyuks Stepanyan,s mother Luiza Stepanyan was sitting looking to one point and crying silently.
Further the parties made their statements. After that the court proceeded to examining the real evidences. The Sides to the trial did not want to examine all real evidences
The defender Yerem Sargsyan suggested examining only Lyuks’s cap if the other participants to the trial had no objections. He grounded his suggestion saying that there was damage on the cap only. When Judge Zoya Zakinyan took out the cap from the package and passed it to the defender through the bailiff, Luiza Stepanyan could not stand any longer and shouted, “You committed a Genocide; this is a Turk, an Osman Turk.”
After the examination of the evidence the court had to begin the interrogation of the defendant Davit Khachatryan, but the latter applied to the court with request to transfer the interrogation to the next court sitting as he was not ready. In addition, the defendant’s lawyers asked the court to provide a copy of the recording of the interrogation of the defendant and asked for time to study it.
The next court hearing was set on April 7.
Newsmaker: Vahagn Tamrazyan
