“These two children are my children. I am really sorry for this great tragedy. During the whole process I tried to find ways for reconciliation of our families. I know I shall carry this Cross till the end of my life,” Vardan Petrosyan said this during his last plea at the court.
A traffic accident with his participation occurred in 2013, which resulted in death of two persons and 4 people were injured.
Vardan Petrosyan turned to the victims, “I am really sorry for what had happened, yoy may believe or not. Good heavens!”
In the beginning of his speech Vardan Petrosyan insisted that from the very beginning there was an objective to strain the victim, Kakobyans’ family against him.
He remembered that during one of the former court hearings Ruben Baloyan, the representative of the victims, spoke about reconciliation, but after that talks the defendant received a note, which said that the victims, Hakobyan brothers had complained that the defendant’s advocate Nikolay Baghdasaryan was smiling, and that smile offended their grief. Vardan Petrosyan mentioned tha he had looked for the reconciliation ways, there were even moments when the parties were very close to reconciliation, but all in vain.
“If Hakobyan’s family does not want to reconcile, why then it was not spoken about from the very beginning? I believe there was an intention to incite Hakobyans,” Vardan Petrosyan said.
He mentioned that prior to the court trial, from the very first days his relatives and friend, well known persons, had visited the victims and expressed their sympathy. “From the very first day I wanted to reach reconciliation. I am not a serial criminal, please understand this. All my efforts were taken as a play. According to you I have nothing to do but to sit there in the prison and play,” Vardan Petrosyan said.
After the defendant’s speech the representatives of accusation and the victims made remarks. They referred to the speeches of the defense and Vardan Petrosyan.
Ruben Baloyan spoke about the hypothesis of Vardan Petrosyan’s being drunk on the day of the incident. He said he did not believe that Vardan Petrosyan was not drunk on that day.
Then Naira Hayrapetyan, the successor of the victim spoke. She argued that Vardan Petrosyan’s defender Nikolay Baghdasaryan permanently injured their feelings by his attitude towards them at the court.
Gevorg Tosunyan
Photo: Aleksander Sargsyan
