Main defendant sentenced to 8 years in prison
General Jurisdiction Court of Kotayk marz has sentenced Ashot Harutyunyan, former head of Charentsavan Criminal Investigation Department, to 8 years in prison.
The court today announced a verdict in the case of Vahan Khalafian, who died in police custody in April 2010.
Harutyunyan was accused of driving Vahan Khalafian to suicide. Khalafian, 24, was summoned to the police headquarters in Charentsavan town on April 13, 2010, on suspicion of robbery. Later, he was found dead in the police department. According to the official version, Khalafian committed suicide while Khalafian's relatives insist on his being murdered by police officers.
Four policemen - Ashot Harutyunyan, Mores Hyrapetyan, Garik Davtyan and Gagik Ghzaryan - faced charges in connection with Khalafian's death.
Moris Hayrapeyan was sentenced to 2 years of imprisonment, the other two culprits were acquitted.
Khalafian's legal successor Artak Zeynalyan refrained from commenting on the verdict, as he was not familiarized with it.
Ashot Harutyunyan did not plead guilty
