Exclusive Document: Full Testimony of the Leader of the Motorcade Accompanying Pashinyan Published

The newspaper "Zhoghavorud" has obtained the complete testimony of Arthur Sahakyan, the leader of the motorcade transporting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, regarding the criminal proceedings related to the traffic accident involving Sona Mnatsakanyan. According to Armlur.am, on April 26, 2022, around 18:05, one of the vehicles in Nikol Pashinyan's governmental motorcade mowed down 28-year-old pregnant woman Sona Mnatsakanyan at the intersection of Leo-Paronyan-Proshyan streets. She was taken to the "Nairi" hospital, where she unfortunately died without regaining consciousness. The life of the unborn child could not be saved either.

An eyewitness had informed reporters that the motorcade left the scene after the accident and did not stop to assist the victim. The Investigative Committee also initially stated that the driver had fled the scene and returned only two hours later. Nevertheless, traffic police major Aram Navasaradyan was only charged with a violation under Article 242, Part 2 of the RA Criminal Code for causing death through negligence, and not for leaving the scene of the accident.

Later, the supervising prosecutor instructed to supplement the charges by also filing charges under Article 244, Part 1 of the RA Criminal Code and to petition the court for the detention of the defendant as a measure of restraint according to the procedure stipulated in Article 130 of the RA Criminal Procedure Code. The investigator initially objected but was later forced to comply with the prosecutor's instruction since the objections were rejected. Navasaradyan's charges were supplemented, and a petition for detention was submitted to the court, which was declined.

It should be noted that the only accused in the case is Aram Navasaradyan, known by the nickname "I will beat Aram." The victim's side believes that the investigation was conducted in a highly subjective manner and within a predetermined framework, aiming solely at assessing the actions of the accused Aram Navasaradyan. Therefore, there can be no talk of the objectivity of the investigation.

This tragic case is being reviewed in court, and "Zhoghavorud" has obtained the testimony of the witness in the criminal proceedings, Arthur Sahakyan, the leader of the motorcade accompanying Nikol Pashinyan, which we present below.

Question: In your previous testimony, you mentioned that on the day of the incident, it was difficult to describe the actions of Aram Zorabyan, who was regulating traffic at the Paronyan-Leo intersection, as he was not in your focus of attention. In your previous testimonies, you stated that A. Zorabyan had performed his duties correctly. How can you say that if you didn't pay attention to his actions?

Answer: I have previously answered your question, that just before the incident, although a green light was on for vehicles traveling down Leo street, the drivers did not resume their travel. Therefore, I can unequivocally state that the regulator acted correctly. This is also evidenced by the fact that, apart from the injured victim and the pedestrian crossing the street before her, all other pedestrians were not crossing Paronyan street. Furthermore, it is clear from the video posted on the internet that Aram Zorabyan was standing in the correct position and giving appropriate signals at that moment. I have nothing more to add regarding that question.

Question: Please state the speed at which your vehicle was traveling at the time of the escort on that day. What instructions did you give regarding speeding to the drivers of the vehicles in the motorcade?

Answer: Different speeds are chosen during the specific escort, determined by the State Protection Service employees, and we maintain the speed that must be observed. If in a different case the speed was increased by Aram Navasaradyan, then it was a result of negligence. During that escort, the speed was maintained by the drivers of the motorcade vehicles; hence, I did not give any instructions in that regard.

Question: On what basis do you claim that your responsibility regarding speed maintenance extends to the vehicles of the motorcade and the safety of the people in them?

Answer: These justifications are our operational service functions, and these are regulated by legal acts. The nature of such escorts is precisely aimed at ensuring the safety of the motorcade vehicles and the individuals in them.

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