On November 29, the verdict on Vahan Khalafyan's death case in unknown circumstances at Charentsavan police department was issued at Kotayk Region Court of First Instance.

For abusing the official position and inciting Khalafyan to suicide, the main accused Ashot Harutyunyan, the former head of Charentsavan Police Criminal Investigation Department, was sentenced to 8 years of imprisonment. The accused Morris Hayrapetyan was sentenced to 2 years suspended sentence, and the police agents Gagik Davtyan and Garik Ghazarian were found innocent.

Recalling the events, on April 13, 2010 Vahan Khalafyan was taken to the Charentsavan police department with the suspicion of theft, where he died in unkown circumstances. 
According to the official version Khalafyan commited suicide as a result of being subjected to torture by the policemen. However, the human rights' defenders and the deceased's relatives insist that Khalafyan was killed.

Mary Aleksanyan
Source: www.hra.am