Judge in Vernissage shooting case already known
Arshak Khachatryan, a judge of the Court of Criminal Appeals, has been assigned to hear last year’s shooting in the territory of Yerevan’s flea market known as Vernissage. Both the prosecutor in the case and one of the defendants, Valery Hovhannisyan, have lodged an appeal to review the case. The prosecutor demanded a stricter punishment, i. e. nine years’ imprisonment, for Gor Arakelyan –, while Valery Hovhannisyan, who had been sentenced to three years in prison, motioned to acquit him saying he was not guilty. On May 17, Gor Arakelyan, a 29-year-old son-in-law of Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) lawmaker Karo Karapetyan, started an argument with Nerses Melkonyan and Valery Hovhannisyan near Vernissage. Five people were injured in the shooting – Norayr Melkonyan and Valery Hovhannisyan, both aged 30; Myasnik Hayrapetyan, 26; Albina Badalyan, 64, and Mnatsakan Sukiasyan, 72. All the five were transported to hospital with gunshot wounds and underwent surgeries. A criminal case was instigated under Articles 235.1 and 258.4 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia. Arakelyan turned himself in to the police the next day in connection with the shooting. He also surrendered his Makorov pistol upon reporting to the police. In October, 2015, Gor Arakelyan was sentenced to 6,5 years’ imprisonment in relation to the shooting spree near Vernissage. The other two defendants, Norayr Melkonyan and Valery Hovhannisyan, were sent to 2 and 3 years in prison respectively.
