Reasons advanced for which the person concerned could be regarded as a political prisoner:
In his capacity of the Head of Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s Hrazdan City Electoral Headquartersas well as his Proxy, Aram Bareghamtan has been receiving during the Elections all complaints that were filed by opposition Proxies.
During the Election Mr. Bareghamyan has made a number of official anouncmernts concerning the ongoing violations. In response to his demand to observe the Law, the Mayor of the HrazdanCity, who was acting in the favour of Serzh Sargsyan, declared that after the Elections Mr. Barghamyan will appear behind the bars.
On 1 March 2008, in the course of morning violent crackdown of the Police at the Opera Square, Mr. Bareghamyan was brutally beaten by Police. This fact was recorded by forensic doctors at the Hospital. Nevertheless the court didn’t take into consideration this fact and rejected the motion of the defence to recognize Mr. Bareghamyan as the victim of criminal offence.
Mr. Bareghamyan was also assaulted during the pre-trial detention.
Accusation was based solely on the contradicting testimonies of two police officer. One of them was qualified as the victim another as a witness.
During the Court hearings the both Police officers gave vague and contradicting testimonies concerning the following:
Place where offence has taken place
Time when offence has occurred
Type of injuries received by the victim
Gravity of injuries
The very fact of the presence of the culprit at the Opera Square at the time when the offence, according to the testimonies given by the both policemen, was allegedly committed has been dismissed by the defense on the basis of the record done in the Hospital.
Thus, in fact the guilt of the culprit has not been proved.
All motions of defence lawyers were rejected by the court without substantively grounded reasons while the motions of the accusation were satisfied.
