Monday, February 13 2017 15:33

ArmInfo.Hayk Halumyan, the lawer of Vahan Shirkhanyan,  the Former Deputy Minister of Defense, who was accused  due to armed gang case and arrested, blows the whistle: his client is absolutely isolated. This was stated by Hayk Halumyan,  Vahan Shirkhanyan's lawyer at a press conference on February 13. 

According to Halumyan, his  attempts to meet Shirkhanyan  were all in  vain. That means Vahan Shirkhanyan is being kept under conditions of  total isolation - he is not allowed to meet either with his relatives  and with the lawyer. According to the lawyer, the written reason of  rejection read that Vahan Shirkhanyan does'not want to abandon his  cell and to  admit the visitors room. "During recent six months Vahan  Shirkhanyan  could not walk  to the visitors room  due to his health  conditions, he was always helped while coming to meet me, and now  they don't want to help him  any more," Halumyan clarified.   According to him, he asked the management of the penitentiary to  allow him to  meet his client in the cell, but his request was  rejected. 

 He was verbally informed that the territory of the cell is a  prohibited zone, and the entrance is prohibited for lawyers also.  "This is just a hint - the reason of  rejection lays much deeper.  They just want to break the resistance  of Mr. Shirkhanyan, to stress  him down. But they will not succeed with that, adding that the last  hope is the European Human  Rights, which got to intensive actions:  ECHR addressed 5 questions to Arm,enian Government related to Vahan  Shirkhanyan's health and the answers whould be given by February  22.," Hayk  HAlumyan reminded.

Vahan Shirkhanyan was suspected of complicity in the actions of  Arthur Vardanyan's armed group. He may face charges based on Article  223.2 of the Armenian Criminal Code (creation and participation in a  criminal community).      

To note, as a result of investigative measures taken by the National  Security Service (NSS) of Armenia, an organized criminal group  intending to commit grave crimes in the territory of Armenia was  disclosed on November 25. A citizen of Armenia Arthur Vardanyan,  native of Yerevan, living in a foreign state, set up and managed a  criminal group as soon as he arrived in Yerevan in 2015.  According  to preliminary agreement, the group illegally acquired weapons and  ammunition. On November 25, the joint measures taken with the  Armenian Police found arms and ammunition, explosives, communication  facilities and other things. As many as 10 people were arrested, with  11 more arrested later. During a private hearing on November 27, the  regular court of Kentron and Nork Marash administrative districts of  Yerevan sustained the motion of the National Security Service of  Armenia (NSS) to use arrest as a measure of restraint against the  gang members detained in Yerevan. The NSS  Investigative Department  has instituted a criminal case based on Article 223 Parts 1 and 2  (creation of a criminal group or participation in a criminal  community - imprisonment for 6-10 years), and Article 235 Part 3  (illegal acquisition, sale, keeping, transportation or bearing of  weapons, ammunition, explosive compounds or explosive devices -  imprisonment for 3-8 years) of the Armenian Criminal Code.