Yesterday Gagik Avdalyan, a witness for the case of Miasnik Malkhasian, disappeared after entering the court of first instance of Kentron and Nork-Marash districts. Human Rights Defender Armen Harutiunyan has been informed of the witness’s mysterious disappearance. In their application some 30 people stated that the witness hadn’t gone out from the front door of the court. The quick response group of the Ombudsman’s staff was allowed to search the building but the witness was found nowhere. Armen Harutiunyan informed A1+ that deputy commander of police battalion #1035, senior lieutenant Ghimoyan had banned the group’s entry to the cell of temporary arrestees. "Our employees couldn’t search that part of the building. We are already writing a letter to the chief of police. We ask him to explain why a police representative prohibited our employees to enter the cell to make sure that the witness wasn’t kept there. Actually, we cannot say for sure whether the witness was in the building or not," said the Ombudsman. To note, the quick response group presented all necessary documents required for a search but the policeman was adamant and denied their access to the cell. Reminder: earlier Gagik Avdalyan stated at the court that during the investigation of the mentioned case his testimony was taken with violence and pressure. By the way, yesterday an MP of the Heritage faction Stepan Safaryan stated at the NA that a witness disappeared from the court of Kentron-Marash. “Many of the witnesses, who were at the court insisted that the kidnappers were policemen,” said Safaryan and added that he’d wish that the Armenian government drew conclusions out of this.
