Vahan Khalafyan was murdered, says lawyer in court

Court of First Instance in Kotayk province held a court hearing over Vahan Khalafyan's case on Monday.

Representative of Khalafyan's successor Artak Zeinalyan delivered an accusatory pleading, stating that Vahan Khalafyan did not commit suicide but was rather killed by former police official Moris Hayrapetyan.

According to him, what took place was a murder which was attempted to make it look like suicide.

The next court hearing will take place on November 11.

The main defendant under this case is Ashot Harutyunyan, the Chief of Investigations Department of Charentsavan Police.

During the last court hearing the prosecution had demanded that the court sentence him to 8 years in prison.

Vahan Khalafyan had been brought to Charentsavan Police on theft suspicions on April 13 this year and died on the same day.

According to the official version, Vahan Khalafyan stabbed himself to death after he was allegedly subjected to degrading treatment and torture during the interrogation.

But Khalafyan's relatives, as well as human rights defenders, say he was killed by the policemen who interrogated him.

All the defendants involved in the case are police officers and accused of committing such actions that led Khalafyan's suicide.