On February 18 Mariam Sukhudyan, member of the Teghut Defense Group, was invited to Yerevan Investigation Department as a witness and testified, presenting everything she knew about encroachments of the special school 11 teacher Levon Avagyan against minors. 

Proceedings have been instigated against Armenian language and literature teacher Levon Avagyan for "committing immoral actions by force".  

Not long ago Mariam was first charged by the "slander" article of the Criminal Code which was later replaced by "calumny". Last October the charges were again swapped back as if Mariam had publicized her information about Avagyan's sexual encroachments against the school students.

The criminal case against Mariam is still in the process. It is not dismissed. Sukhudyan's attorney Nona Galstyan announced yesterday: "Though proceedings have been instigated against Levon Avagyan, the case against Mariam for "slander" is not dismissed yet."     

Mariam Sukhudyan emphasized in connection with the criminal case against Avagyan that "sexual violence is not the only scandalous fact in the special school, and that children with no mental problems study there due to what fates continue to be mutilated."   

Mariam Sukhudyan visited the school with one of the UN Armenia office volunteer programs and together with other members of the group has raised alarm about the situation in the school - bad food, defective education, anti-sanitary conditions and teachers' encroachments against students.

The case found a broad response among the public. Several youth groups and organizations supporting Mariam Sukhudyan have been formed. There were also many publications in media proving truthfulness of information reported by Sukhudyan.