Garen Harutyunyan, the only suspect arrested and charged in the assault of Edik Baghdasaryan, Hetq’s Chief Editor, on November 17, 2008, again claimed in court today that he had nothing to do with the crime.

Mr. Harutyunyan, had refused to testify during the preliminary investigation, but in today’s trial session at the Kentron and Nork-Marash District Court, he answered all the questions asked of him.

“I was at home at the time and I can prove it. At the police station they told me that I had done it and asked me how. I told them I hadn’t and had nothing to say,” the suspect declared in court.

During the interrogation of the suspect, Edik Baghdasaryan brought up the fact that he received three phone call registered to Garen Harutyunyan’s brother (the son of Garen’s mother’s second husband).

“There are phone calls that the investigators must examine; calls made hours before and after the incident. I am convinced that one of the calls was made by Garen Harutyunyan himself. But the investigators aren’t doing anything. It’s too complicated for we journalists to do; it could take months,” stated Mr. Baghdasaryan.

When asked by the Hetq editor to respond, the suspect said, “I lost my cell phone card and went without one for about one month.”

Before that the court interrogated Norayr Avetisyan, director of the police training academy, who was walking by when the assault took place. He said that he went to the Vernisage to play some pool at a club nearby when he saw Garen Harutyunyan, whom he recognized as a former resident of his courtyard, and two other unfamiliar men walking towards the fountains.

“I stopped the car to take a better look at them About 50 meters away I saw that a fight was ensuing. I ran towards the spot, shouting that I was a police officer and to stop fighting. They didn’t listen to my call so I fired my gas pistol into the air. With that, they took off,” stated Mr. Avetisyan in court.

Mr. Avetisyan said that he started to chase after them but stopped because he was more concerned with the victim. He recognized Garen Harutyunyan when he spotted the assailants later on.

The witness said that two of the assailants were beating Edik Baghdasaryan with their fists and feet from in front while the third was striking the victim with what appeared to be a heavy object from behind. He said that Mr. Baghdasaryan tried to get up but the blows were coming from all sides and he couldn’t.

“It’s a lie. That man (Norayr Avetisyan) is an enemy of mine. That’s why he’s saying all these things,” blurted out Mr. Harutyunyan. The suspect went on to say that Avetisyan had been in love with his sister (the daughter of Garen’s mother’s second husband – Hetq) and that later on the girl had a boyfriend who told Avetisyan to forget about the girl.

The suspect said that between 3 and 4 pm on the day of the assault he was busy taking his mother home from the Erebuni Medical Center where she had been operated on. He said that his mother’s doctor, Lusineh Tovmasyan, and nurse, Nayira Muradyan, could vouch for him. Nurse Muradyan is a close friend of the suspect’s mother, Marineh Markosyan.

Defense attorney Vahagn Manoukyan motioned the court to interrogate these three individuals but Judge Mnatsakan Martirosyan denied the request arguing that Marineh Markosyan and Nayira Muradyan had a stake in the outcome of the trial and that they were present throughout the trial in any case.

Judge Martirosyan stated, “Lusineh Tovmasyan gave testimony during the preliminary examination that Garen Harutyunyan was at home on the day of the incident until around 7:00 p.m. This neither refutes nor substantiates whether he committed or didn’t commit the act he is charges with that took place at approximately 7:50 pm.”

Prosecutor Hayk Balyan stated that the charges of “hooliganism” brought against the defendant were fully founded and called for a sentence of 5 1/2 years.

The defense requested a recess to prepare their counter-argument. The trial will resume on June 19.