Igor Khachaturov's Criminal Case Linked to His Political Stance and Ethnicity, Lawyer Claims

The innocence of Igor Khachaturov has been recognized in the charges brought against him, and he has been acquitted. This was stated by Khachaturov's lawyer, Mihran Poghosyan, in an interview with ArmeniaToday.

The decision was made by Judge Tatevik Grigoryan. In a statement released after the completion of the preliminary investigation, the Investigative Committee noted that during the arrest of participants in the protest, "Igor Yuri Khachaturov, along with another participant, obstructed the actions of the police officer in charge of ensuring public order and committed non-lethal violence against him, hitting the mentioned officer several times in the chest and abdomen with his fist, and these actions were related to the officer's performance of his official duties."

Based on sufficient evidence, Igor Khachaturov was charged under part 1 of Article 316 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia, and as a preventive measure, he was taken into custody.

Lawyer Poghosyan questioned the credibility of the Investigative Committee's evidence as well as the testimonies of police officers during the preliminary investigation, asserting that the charges were baseless. Referring to the fact that his client had been detained for two months, the lawyer emphasized that this decision was also unlawful. "It has been appealed several times, and those who upheld the detention were judges of the government's favor," lawyer Poghosyan noted.

The Investigative Committee's earlier statement suggested that Igor Khachaturov likely used drugs. Poghosyan responded, "This allegation was refuted during the preliminary investigation, but I reiterate that anyone who makes such claims in this case should undergo forensic psychiatric examination to determine if they are in a sound state of mind."

According to Mihran Poghosyan, during his statement in court, Igor Khachaturov mentioned that this case is influenced by his civic political stance and, in general, by his ethnicity.