Trial of Yerevan balloon blast adjourned
The trial of last May's mass explosions of gas balloons in Yerevan's Republic Square has been adjourned till October 11.
The Court of General Jurisdiction of Yerevan's Kentron and Nork-Marash districts today upheld the motion filed by defendant Serob Bozoyan's attorney, giving him ten days to study the case material.
Angered by the decision, Prosecutor Hakob Martirosyan complained that the work could be done in four days.
Serob Bozoyan is facing heavy fines and up to five years in prison under Article 279 of the Armenian Criminal Code dealing with the production and sale of goods not meeting safety requirements and causing harm to two or more people.
Hundreds of gas balloons exploded in Republic Square on May 4, 2011, during an election campaign meeting organized by the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK). The explosion was followed by fire, with melted rubber falling on the event participants. At least 150 people were hospitalized with serious burns and injuries. Some of them underwent plastic surgery. Later it was revealed that the balloons were filled with inflammable natural gas by several individuals in a Yerevan apartment. Bozoyan is one of them.
