Investigation Service head: Budaghians were not shot in the back

The results of expert examinations conducted during the investigation into the incident near the Goris house of Syunik province’s ex-governor Suren Khachatrian show that the wounds of Artak and Avetik Budaghians were not inflicted by bullets fired in their backs. Head of Armenian Defense Ministry’s Investigation Service Armen Harutyunian said that at a meeting with reporters today.

“Two bullets were extracted from the body of Avetik Budaghian. It was later found as a result of an expert examination that the bullets were shot from Tigran Khachatrian’s gun,” Harutyunian said, when commenting on a statement made earlier by Hayk Alumian, the lawyer of the Budaghians.

According to Alumian’s statement, Artak Budaghian testified that the shots were fired from Suren Khachatrian’s house.

“Hayk Alumian also participated in the expert examination done at the scene of incident. He saw that there was no balcony in the place from where shots could have been fired. Perhaps for that reason the balcony was subsequently called the second floor,” Armen Harutyunian said, refuting Hayk Alumian’s arguments.

We would remind you that the Investigation Service of Armenian Defense Ministry decided to terminate criminal proceedings against the son and a bodyguard of Suren Khachatrian, former governor of Syunik province, the press service of the Defense Ministry’s Investigation Service said on September 7.

According to the source, as a result of an objective and comprehensive examination of the materials collected, their analysis, assessment and comparison, a decision was taken to revoke the measure of restraint against the governor’s son Tigran Khachatrian and his bodyguard Zarzand Nikoghosian and terminate the criminal proceedings against them as there were all signs of justifiable defense in their actions.

Under Article 263 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Armenia, an appeal against a decision about termination of criminal proceedings may be filed to the superior prosecutor within 7 days from the moment of receiving the decision’s copy by the suspect, accused person, defendant, their lawyers, the aggrieved person, and his representative.

Avetik Budaghian, a former candidate for Goris mayor, died in the June 2 shooting outside the house of then governor of Syunik province Suren Khachatrian. His brother Artak Budaghian, a military unit commander, received a serious gunshot wound and was hospitalized. The governor’s bodyguard Nikolai Abrahamian was also hospitalized. A criminal case was opened in connection with the incident under the RA Criminal Code’s Article 104 part 2 point 6 (murder), Article 112 part 1 (willful infliction of heavy damage to health) and Article 235 part 1 (illegal purchase, sale, possession, transportation or carrying of arms).