Chief of RA Police Alik Sargsyan during the interview given to radio Liberty again announced that the statements that 24 year old Vahan Khalafyan, who had died at Charencavan department of the Police, was tortured and killed did not correspond to reality.

"I just state torture did not take place", announced the Chief of Police.

Vahan Khalafyan's mother Anahit Khalafyan told us that his son's face and whole body was found with traces of violence and torture and expressed assurance that he had been killed at the police station (watch here http://www.hra.am/am/point-of-view/2010/04/19/police).

However, Chief of Police Alik Sargsyan continued to insist that the event that had happened was not a murder.

"What are they talking about? What beatings? What killing? We can separate suicide and murder from each other very clearly. And in this case I consider talking about the murder irrelevant".

Alik Sargsyan said the following about the version suggested by the Special Investigatory Service, that Vahan Khalafyan was killed by the employees of Charencavan department of the Police.

"It is investigated [version of murder]. Let the specialists investigate, and publicize the real events".

The Chief of Police ensured that he would not interfere with the expert inquiry.

"The conclusion will be real and objective", said he, "I have not participated in the process of post-mortem, and I don't want our people to participate in it. I exclude any interference... If the policemen are guilty they will be punished'.

(We should point out that Khalafyan's relatives were present at post-mortem).

The Chief of Police also informed that service examination was being carried out among police employees.

We should also mention that last week, the next day of the event, Arthur Sakunts, head of Helsinki Citizens' Assembly Vanadzor office, also went to Charencavan, and confirmed that the young people who had been taken to the Police were subjected to torture. The human rights activist met them.

"Norayr was at home, in bed. He could hardly move and speak, He was having stress, as if he was out of touch with reality. He said with difficulty that he had been taken at half past 7. He did not even remember when he had come home. The parents mentioned that at night at half past two they received a phone call from the police, telling them to come and take their son", said the human rights activist mentioning that the young man stopped from time to time, then continued, then again went silent, and in some time unexpectedly started to talk to himself.

"The young man could hardly explain that he had been in another room, but could hear the voice of the beatings from the next rooms".

Zhanna Alexanyan