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Russian Lawyer Questioned Over TV Chief Murder Claims


By Karine Kalantarian
State prosecutors questioned on Friday a trial attorney who claims that the recent killing of state television chief Tigran Naghdalian was linked to the 1999 massacre in the Armenian parliament.

A senior prosecutor told RFE/RL that the Russian lawyer, Oleg Yunoshev, was summoned to elaborate on his allegations that Naghdalian was killed on December 28 because he was involved in the parliament attack and could have unmasked its masterminds. Hector Sardarian said the questioning lasted for several hours and declined to give further details.

A separate summons has been issued to Yunoshev by military prosecutors investigating the 1999 terrorist attack. The lawyer represents the family of the assassinated Prime Minister Vazgen Sarkisian at the two-year trial of its perpetrators.

Earlier on Friday, Yunoshev held a special news conference to protest against the law-enforcement bodies’ decision to interrogate him. He said they are not allowed to do so under Armenian law because of his status of a legal counsel involved in related court proceedings.

Yunoshev claims that the famous footage of five armed men bursting into the parliament hall on October 27, 2002 was edited by Naghdalian’s state television before it was made available to the investigators. He says Russian experts have concluded that a 11-minute episode of the dramatic events is missing from the videotape.

The allegations have been brushed aide by the pro-government media which blame President Robert Kocharian’s opponents for Naghdalian’s death.
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