In the Anti-corruption Criminal Court, presided by Judge Vahe Dolmazyan, on November 25, continued the examination of the criminal case regarding former Minister of Internal Affairs of Armenia, writer and publicist Vano Siradeghyan, which was suspended in 2000 and subsequently resumed.
While holding the position of minister, Vano Siradeghyan, according to the charges, in summer 1992 through Armen Sahak Ter-Sahakyan organized a stable armed criminal group (gang), which included members from the system entrusted to him and armed them with various types of firearms and ammunition, and later patronized the gang and concealed their numerous robberies and other crimes.
The criminal case against Vano Siradeghyan and 11 other defendants was sent to the Malatia-Sebastia Community Court with an indictment in July 1999. Among the defendants were the Head of the Internal Troops Department of the RA Ministry of Internal Affairs Vahan Harutyunyan and other representatives of internal troops. (The criminal case regarding Armen Ter-Sahakyan and others was sent to court earlier and was heard in a different court).
In 2000, Vano Siradeghyan fled, and his part was separated from the case of Vahan Harutyunyan and others. The charges against the latter were proven in court and they were convicted. The examination of the case regarding Vano Siradeghyan was suspended in court due to his whereabouts being unknown.
On October 16, 2021, Vano Siradeghyan died. And, now, in 2022, the examination of the criminal case initiated against him was resumed. Lawyer Tigran Yegoryan had announced that Khachatur Siradeghyan would demand to continue the case examination with the expectation of acquittal.
According to Iravaban.net, Vano Siradeghyan’ s son Khachatur Siradeghyan and public prosecutor Movses Antonyan attended the court session. Case defender Tigran Yegoryan was not present at the court session.
The parties to the trial did not object to continuing the court session without the defender’s presence. During the presentation of written evidence, the public prosecutor read the protocols from June 1994.
First were presented the protocols of special cases investigator Tovmasyan regarding the testimonies of A. Israelyan, I. Hovhannisyan, and Yerevan Polyclinic No. 3 reception doctor L. Tolkmadjyan, based on which the examination of the polyclinic’s reception register was conducted. The register indicates that on June 2, 1994, Artur Hakobyan was brought to the hospital reception and was referred to the gastrology department. No other data about Hakobyan was found in the register.
Another protocol was read regarding the examination and seizure of clothes, according to which the clothes of A. Hakobyan, who was transferred to the polyclinic with a gunshot wound – his undershirt, underwear and shoes, 220 drams which was in Hakobyan’s underwear pocket, were seized for examination purposes. The examination revealed that there were damages and dried blood traces on the undershirt.
The left upper part of the underwear’s waistband is soaked with red liquid similar to blood, and there is also fabric damage. On the underwear, there are also tiny particles resembling ground glass that shine under light. Blood traces were found both inside the shoes and on the upper parts of the banknotes.
The next protocol relates to preventing the disclosure of the real circumstances of Vladimir Grigoryan’s murder preparation and attempted premeditated murder under aggravating circumstances, and obstructing the discovery of truth in criminal cases initiated on these facts, and was drawn up in one of the houses on Marshal Baghramyan Avenue in Yerevan on June 4, 1994.
For composing the protocol, an examination of the shirt, suit, and pen was conducted. Vladimir Grigoryan declared that while driving his car, during the criminals’ shooting, he was wearing the suit and had the pen in his pocket, which was damaged as a result of the shooting.
On the jacket, there are blood-like red traces in the form of 17 drops and 17 fabric damages, which externally resemble fragment damages and 2 gray small fragments. The pen was difficult to open and close due to the damage. According to Grigoryan, the damage to the pen occurred during the shooting. He also stated that he had washed the shirt, resulting in the blood traces being cleaned, but there are fabric damages that correspond to the fabric damages on the jacket. There were also blood traces on the underwear.
The basis for the next protocol was a series of organizational measures aimed at carrying out the assignment of murder by Armen Ter-Sahakyan and his led gang on Vano Siradeghyan’s instructions in early March 1993, including the theft of vehicles through robberies to use them as means of murder.
A protocol was also presented about identifying a person by photo on June 3 or 8, 1994. Makar Martirosyan, examining the presented 4 photographs, stated that he saw the young man pictured in photo number 3 together with Albert and Vazgen on May 25, 1994, in the yard of Yerevan Registration and Examination Department. At Vazgen’s suggestion, Makar examined Albert’s car. He noted that he doesn’t know the young man’s name but immediately recognized him when seeing him. He said he doesn’t recognize the others. Albert Kotanjyan noted that the young man pictured in the first photo from the left is the one he saw at the velodrome on May 27, 1994.
“First his 2 friends approached me, then he approached me limping and sat in my car with his tall friend for testing purposes. Their 2nd friend, who had approached with the tall friend, didn’t get in the car. The one pictured is the limping guy.”
According to the reference, Albert Kotanjyan recognized Suren Harutyunyan.
By another protocol, 4 photographs were presented for recognition, as a result of which Albert Kotanjyan stated that he saw the person pictured in the second photo from the left on May 24 and 25 in Kanaker.
“He was coming to formalize the sale of the car I sold. If I’m not mistaken, on May 23 he approached me with his tall friend, but when we sat in my car with the tall one, he approached Arsen, an auto shop employee, and talked with him.” According to the reference, Kotanjyan recognized Arshak Arshikhichukyan.
In the next presented protocol, it was noted that Arshak Kotanjyan recognized from the photographs of 3 persons presented to him the tall young man in the second photo from the left who approached him at the velodrome on May 23, sat next to him, and after testing the car paid 1600 dollars.
According to the reference, Kotanjyan recognized Israel Sargsyan.
In the last protocol, witness Gevorg Mejlumyan was presented with 3 photographs for recognition. Mejlumyan recognized the young man pictured in the 2nd photo, who at “Veterok” with his tall friend, whose leg was injured, approached him and Albert Kotanjyan about buying a car and after testing the car stated that he wanted to buy it.
Gevorg Mejlumyan recognized from the next 3 photos presented to him the young man pictured in the 2nd photo who wanted to buy A. Kotanjyan’s car and whom he saw on May 23 with his tall friend whose leg was injured, and he stated that his leg was in a cast, injured as a result of a car accident.
According to the reference, witness Gevorg Mejlumyan recognized Israel Sargsyan during the 1st protocol and Suren Harutyunyan during the 2nd protocol.
The phase of examining written evidence was not completed. It will continue during the next court session in this case on January 21, 2025, at 10:00.
Lilit Khachatryan
