The court hearing in the case of Ernest Yenoqyan, charged with murder, continued at the “Ajapnyak 1” courthouse of Yerevan City Court of General Jurisdiction, presided over by Judge Roman Smbatyan.
According to the charges, on August 20, 2023, around 16:30, Ernest Yenoqyan illegally took the life of Adrianna Garnik Lima, after which he damaged an apartment belonging to Arthur Rafik Sargsyan by arson, causing substantial property damage of 3,466,000 AMD.
It is noted that on August 20, 2023, around 16:15, he visited apartment #59 at 1 Yeznik Koghbatsi Street in Yerevan, rented by Adrianna Lima and owned by Arthur Sargsyan, to demand repayment of a 400,000 dram loan previously given to Adrianna Lima. During the conversation about the money, Adrianna Lima told Ernest Yenoqyan that she only owed him 100,000 AMD.
Regarding the money issue, Ernest Yenoqyan made sexual insults toward Adrianna Lima, who, taking offense and grabbing a knife from the apartment, tried to force Ernest Yenoqyan out of the apartment at knifepoint.
Seeing this, Ernest Yenoqyan took the knife from Adrianna Lima’s hand and, with the intention of illegally taking her life, inflicted multiple stab wounds on her. As a result of the injuries, Adrianna Lima died at the scene.
Ernest Yenoqyan used his lighter to burn Adrianna Lima’s bedroom clothes, then locked the apartment door with a key and fled.
According to Iravaban.net, at the previous session, there was a discussion about inviting Sahak Azizyan as a witness. The latter, according to the victim’s side, had been in Adrianna Lima’s apartment the day before the incident and stayed overnight at her home.
At this session, the defendant Ernest Yenoqyan was not presented by the police. His defender Sasun Rafaelyan stated there was no need to postpone the session, as he had a phone conversation with his client who indicated the court session could proceed in his absence and discuss the matter of preventive measures.
It should also be noted that the victim’s mother stated that other lawyers would represent her, of whom lawyer Ara Gharagozyan was present.
During the discussion of the preventive measure against the accused, the public prosecutor stated that the grounds and justifications for keeping the accused in custody continue to exist based on the previous court act’s justifications, and there is a high probability of the accused fleeing. In the absence of new factual data on this matter, the detention period should be extended for another 3 months.
The victim’s representative also joined the prosecutor’s position, noting that the risk of escape has already been documented.
Yenoqyan’s defender made a statement: “At this stage, there is no probability of obstruction, there is only the probability of escape. Now, if we assess the probability of escape, naturally it has a different level during the preliminary investigation phase, final phase, during trial, and at this stage when all evidence has already been examined, witnesses have been questioned, and motions have been made to question experts. The probability of escape cannot exist forever, it gradually decreases.”
According to the defender, a ban on leaving, bail, and house arrest are sufficient to ensure Ernest Yenoqyan’s proper behavior.
The public prosecutor insisted that alternative preventive measures cannot ensure the proper behavior of the accused.
Lawyer Ara Gharagozyan added that an escape attempt was made in the initial phase, and the risk remains high: “After allegedly committing the crime, the person tried to escape via the Bavra road, meaning this is not the prosecutor’s assumption, there is clear evidence that the person attempted to escape.”
After hearing the positions of the parties, the court decided to leave the preventive measure against defendant Ernest Yenoqyan unchanged and extend the detention period for 3 months.
The summoned witness Sahak Azizyan arrived late to the court session, and the presiding judge again warned that he should appear at the next session, considering that no other procedural actions can be carried out in the absence of the defendant.
The next session in this case will take place on December 4.
Mariam Shahnazaryan
