This article in
Armenian

Four out of the Hakobyan brothers –Taron, Tatul, Marzpet, Rshtoun, and
Astatur- of the Ujan village are freedom fighters. Taron Hakobyan is under
arrest since February 5 for destroying the property and building of the “Sasoun
33” LTD. There is a sad history leading to this event.

Taron Hakobyan has all necessary documents and for several years he had lived in
the building of the enterprise “Sasoun 33”, without the right to do business.
The enterprise is a tavern located at the green space nearby Ujan and has 2000
sq.m. surrounding territory. This attractive circumstance became a tragedy for
Taron Hakobyan. The process of selling the tavern started during ruling of the
affiliated with the Dashnak party marzpets of Aragatsotn region Hrayr Karapetyan
and Gabriel Gozalyan. Also, because another Dashnak party member from diaspora
Vardgez Hakobyan had an interest in obtaining the property, Taron Hakobyan is
inclined to believe that this party has its role in this messed situation.

The prosecutor’s office, based on the application from Taron Hakobyan,
investigated the case of auction process of the “Sasoun 33” and found several
illegalities in it. Citation:

“the bailiff Artak Arakelyan, an official person, who had personal interests in
making profit in the case, under illegal pressure from his superior, signed
obviously false documents and presented them for the notary verification, thus
violating the Criminal Code, article 314.” The criminal case against Artak
Arakelyan was suspended due to the amnesty declared in honor of 15 years of the
Republic of Armenia. The principal of the state notary of Aragatsotn marz Gagik
Hakobyan did not receive any note of reprimand. Nevertheless, he was the
official who registered in the registry book under # 252 item that the territory
of the enterprise was 481 sq.m. and it was sold for 3 641 655 AMD, and under #
253 of the registry he wrote that the enterprise had a territory of 880 sq.m and
was sold for the mentioned above price. The complainant Taron Hakobyan received
a right to apply for satisfaction under the Civil Code. Thus, the case was
passed to the court of first instance and the Cassation Court of RA. Taron
Hakobyan met the chairman of the Court of Cassation Hovhannes Manoukyan and told
him that during 55 days he applied to the court for seven times but was told
that nobody knows anything about it, and the case is with the judge. Taron
Hakobyan tried to bring the judges under administrative reprimand, applied to
the General Prosecutor and the Minister of Justice, but failed in that. As the
Notary office and the Office of execution of court decisions are under the
jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice, the Hakobyan brothers suggest that the
Ministry, probably, does not want to expose the illegalities happening in its
system.

Thus, a strange situation occurs: while Taron Hakobyan has the right to occupy
the territory, he constantly became threatened. In addition to the mentioned
people’s wrong doings, also other people, like unidentified persons driving
Jeeps, bailiffs and policemen under the police chief Karo Karapetyan, have
threatened him. Once, in July 2006, there was a fight, and some friends of Taron
Hakobyan spent several days in the police. The recent threatening attempt
happened the night before the fire of “Sasoun 33”. Three unrecognized persons
driving a Jeep threatened Taron Hakobyan that he would die if he does not leave
the territory of “Sasoun 33” in 12 hours. So, Taron Hakobyan fired the territory
and left it. The brothers of Taron Hakobyan say that he was forced to this
condition, and the justice system makes a “criminal” out of him.

The arrest of Taron Hakobyan is not the end of the story. The investigator Gagik
Arakelyan in the case of Taron Hakobyan wrote that the latter is blamed for a
damage of a property costing 42 million AMD, while the auction price for the
property fired was less than 4 million AMD. The relatives of Taron Hakobyan lost
their trust in the justice system of Armenia, and apply to various international
structures and embassies operating in Armenia to seek assistance in fair
investigation of the case and transparent court proceedings.