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Major Hovakimyan Denies Hitting Pashinyan During Testimony
The trial of jailed "Haykakan Zhamank" editor Nikol Pashinyan continued today at the Shengavit District Court. Major Khachatur Hovakimyan, a company commander with the National Security Service took the witness stand.The witness stated that on October 23, 2007, the day when it is alleged that Mr. Pashinyan struck a law enforcement officer during an opposition march, he had been ordered to the intersection of Koryun and Teryan Streets and saw Nikol Pashinyan exhort the crowd to join the protestors via a megaphone he was carrying. Major Hovakimyan stated that while he actually didn’t see Pashinyan strike anyone he did witness a shoving match between the newspaper editor and police.
Under questioning from defense attorney Lusineh Sahakyan, the witness testified that Pashinyan had been shouting out slogans against the police and the president. When asked to be more specific, Major Hovakimyan replied, "No to Serzh". When the lawyer pointed out that Serzh (Sargsyan) wasn’t the president of Armenia at the time, the witness said that he had been momentarily gotten Serzh Sargsyan mixed up with then president Robert Kocharyan.
The police car driven by Major Hovakimyan was used to transfer several of the protestors, including Pashinyan, "Chorrord Ishkhanutyun" editor Shogher Matevosyan and "Zhoghovrdavarutyun and Hayrenik" party leader Petros Makeyan to the central police station.
Attorney Yervand Varosyan asked Major Hovakimyan if he was the one who punched Mr. Pashinyan in the eye on the day in question or id he saw the person that did. The witness claimed that neither was he the one who hot Pashinyan nor did he see who did.
All the while, Mr. Pashinyan claims that it was Major Hovakimyan who struck him.
The court has just recessed for 15 minutes.
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