Former chief of police sentenced to 8 years in prison

The General Jurisdiction Court of Kotayk marz (province) has sentenced Ashot Harutyunyan, former Head of Charenstavan town's Police Department, to 8 years in prison.

Harutyunyan was accused of pushing Vahan Khalafyan to suicide.

On April 13, 2010, Khalafyan was taken to Chrenstavan police department on suspicion of robbery.

Official sources say he committed suicide on the same day after being tortured by the police. However, Khalafyan's relatives and human rights defenders insist on his being murdered by police officers.

Four policemen were accused of torturing Khalafyan, but only one of them – Ashot Harutyunyan – has been detained. Member of police task force Moris Hayrapeyan was sentenced to 2 years of imprisonment, the other two culprits have been acquitted.

It came after Harutyunyan's recent speech in court, in which the former chief of police accused Hayrapetyan of committing the murder.
Khalafyan's legal successor - Artak Zeynalyan - finds the verdict unfair.

"We have always insisted on Vahan's being murdered," he told Tert.am, not ruling out the possibility of the case being appealed.