Ara Mkrtchyan Was Not Sober on the Day of the Incident, Defense Claims

In the case of Lieutenant Colonel Ara Mkrtchyan, who was assaulted in Yeghegnodzor, the defendant is trying to evade criminal responsibility with such statements. This was stated to NEWS.am by Ara Mkrtchyan's defense attorney, Rafael Amirjhanian.

The defendant, Zaven Grigoryan, and his attorney, Levon Sahakyan, insisted that Zaven Grigoryan was not present at the scene of the incident, claiming that the other defendant, his brother Harutyun Grigoryan, was there alone. It is also noted that on March 6, the Court of Appeals released Zaven Grigoryan.

“Harutyun Grigoryan was not alone at the time of the incident. He went upstairs to his apartment, called his friends and brother, and when everyone gathered, he came down,” said Amirjhanian.

He mentioned that the exact number of Harutyun Grigoryan's friends is not yet confirmed, estimating it could be 7 or 8 individuals.

“I insist that Trdat Sargsyan was also present at the scene. There are witnesses who continue to assert this. The audio-video recordings are not from that day and cannot prove that Trdat Sargsyan was not at the scene,” the defense attorney stated.

When asked whether Ara Mkrtchyan was in a state of intoxication, Amirjhanian replied, “Ara Mkrtchyan was not sober; however, the claim that he was drunk does not correspond to reality.”

It is recalled that the Investigative Committee announced that the former governor of Vayots Dzor, Trdat Sargsyan, did not witness the altercation that took place on September 17, 2019, and was not present at the scene. However, four officers who were witnesses to the incident stated that the former governor was present and observed the incident without intervening.

Charges have been filed against Harutyun Grigoryan, the assistant to the former governor of Vayots Dzor. Zaven Grigoryan, the brother of the defendant, is also in the status of a defendant. A week after the incident, Trdat Sargsyan resigned from his position as the governor of Vayots Dzor.