I, the journalist of the “168-Hours” newspaper, Lusine Stepanyan, am very happy that today as a journalist and an RA citizen; I first time in my life believed the justice in Armenia.
Today I won’t write by whose order and why the three innocent soldiers, Razmik Sargsyan, Arayik Zalyan and Musa Serobyan were accused of the cruel murder of soldiers Roman Yeghiazaryan and Hovsep Mkrtumyan, who were killed in the N regiment of Madaghis, NKR. I won’t also write about the fact that Razmik Sargsyan in front of my eyes lost his consciousness after the RA Military Court of Armenia read his verdict. By apologizing to our readers today I won’t write about facts or what was said during the court trial. I will write about what’s necessary for our citizens like air. First time in my life I witnessed honesty, fairness and morality showed by the Court of Cassation, specifically judge Mher Khachatryan, which I think every justice system representative must show. At that moment I was proud of living in Armenia and not in America, where one doesn’t get punished for things he hasn’t done. I felt very protected.
Yesterday the RA Court of Cassation was hearing the case of the three soldiers accused of murder. By the First Instance Court Verdict of Syunik the three boys were sentenced to 15 years imprisonment. However the Military Court of Armenia has determined life sentence for these guys. Former military Prosecutor, Gagik Jhangiryan was also present at yesterday’s trial of the Court of Cassation, the presence of who created “hysteria” among the people at the court hall, who gave all kinds of negative formulations to him. God knows why Jhangiryan decided to be present at the trial. None of the ones present at the trial would ever think that the judges would make a verdict to “immediately release the ones arrested in April, 2004”. This verdict created shock among everybody. The feeling of victory felt everyone – the relatives of the boys, journalists, NGO representatives, attorneys, etc. Everybody was hugging everybody congratulating each other. Everybody enjoyed the victory except for Gagik Jhangiryan, who fled from the hall when the parents of the boys started to kiss the hands of the judge, Mher Khachatryan, who was petrified. The mother of one of the murdered guys, Hovsep Mkrtumyan, Mrs. Greta, said that yesterday was her husband’s birthday and the best resent he would possibly get is the release of the innocent young people. Nevertheless, I as an independent journalist, decided to go to the penitentiary of Noubarashen in a blistering cold to meet the three guys. Many people stood in line behind the metal bars of the penitentiary in heavy snow. And although their release took very long they all decided to wait to make sure they are really released. Even the prison security was happy. They were kissing and congratulating the parents of the young boys, saying, “This is sensation. Life sentence and now free…” Razmik Sargsyan, Arayik Zalyan and Musa Serobyan were also very happy and shocked. They didn’t realize they were released without owing someone anything. They reached freedom, which was taken away from “powerful” people. No one knows who is going to be punished for the sufferings of the innocent boys. I have only got to mention that the victory belongs to all of us.
P.S. Journalist, Lusine Stepanyan made a celebration party on the occasion of releasing the boys once she got back from the penitentiary of Noubarashen.