Hysteria Erupts After Announcement of Arrest of 2 Prison Officers

The advisor to the Armenian General Prosecutor's Office, Gor Abrahamyan, wrote on his Facebook page: “Yesterday, following the announcement by the prosecutor's office about the arrest of two officers from the ‘Nubarashen’ penitentiary in relation to the case of bodily harm inflicted on the accused Vahagn Abgaryan, certain circles, including individuals involved in the defense of V. Abgaryan, have raised hysteria in their unique style claiming that the real circumstances of the incident have been distorted and that there is an attempt to lead the investigation in a direction favorable to the prosecutor's office and the investigative body.

Such absurd claims, of course, have no basis and stem exclusively from targeted personalized attitudes, long accustomed to echoing slanders against the prosecutor's office that cross the boundaries of correctness and ethics. Responding to these claims is beneath the dignity of anyone representing the prosecutor's office.

Nevertheless, I must note that the preliminary investigation in this criminal case is being conducted comprehensively, and the prosecutor's office is pursuing the full disclosure of all circumstances of the incident, including the possible involvement of other officials, concerning the crime scene and the nature of the injuries, and evaluating the legal implications of what has occurred.

Regrettably, being constrained in publishing preliminary data, I cannot provide additional information about the criminal case at this time. However, the public will ultimately be assured of a thorough, multifaceted, and objective investigation, as well as its specifically substantiated results.

Yet, it is both striking and sad that the aforementioned circles, who seek to exploit the case and the ongoing investigation, while fond of making grand statements about V. Abgaryan's lack of ties to criminal culture, are circulating information flavored with unverified data and do not show the same diligence in urging their client to provide testimony about information he holds that could assist the investigation, despite the fact that the investigative body and the prosecutor's office, already, are and will be doing everything to ensure the full disclosure of the case.