Judge Muzheg Aramyan, in the case involving the murder of Valodi Grigoryan, head of the Parakar extended community, announced at a court hearing today (February 20) that he had received a petition from Valodi Grigoryan’s father, Levon Grigoryan, who is a victim in the case.
In his petition, Levon wrote: “Considering that the circumstances of my son Valodi Grigoryan’s murder will be discussed during the criminal investigation, attending the court hearings causes me psychological pain. Accordingly, I request that my absence be considered honorable and that the hearings be held in my absence. At the same time, I request that Mkhitar Tigranyan, an attorney with the Chamber of Advocates, be allowed to represent me in the criminal case as the victim.”
In this regard, the judge stated: “Levon Grigoryan’s presence at court hearings, until the court deems him obligated to appear, is considered within the context of the exercise of his right, and his failure to appear at court hearings is not considered an impediment.”
As a reminder, on September 23, at approximately 11:52 PM, Valodya Grigoryan, head of the Parakar community, was killed near his newly built home on Yerevan Highway in the village of Merdzavan. Also killed was criminal police officer Karen Abrahamyan, a friend of Grigoryan’s who was with him during the incident but was off-duty. The wounded citizen, Artsrun Galstyan, is in critical condition. The killer, wearing a mask and gloves, approached Grigoryan and his friends, who were standing near the house, and opened fire.
In connection with the incident, the Vagharshapat Investigative Department of the Armavir Regional Investigative Department has opened a criminal case under Part 1 (2 episodes) of Article 155 (murder), Part 1 of Article 44-155 (attempted murder), and Part 1 of Article 335 (illegal trafficking of firearms, their main components, ammunition, and other materials, devices, and objects) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia. Two defendants are currently in custody: 31-year-old Narek Ohanyan and 20-year-old Gevorg Harutyunyan.