The former head of an investigation group conducting a probe into the 2008 post-election unrest has been charged with falsifying evidence in the case and is now wanted by Armenian authorities, according to the Special Investigative Service (SIS).
In a report released on Wednesday the SIS said Vahagn Harutiunian, who was the senior investigator of the Service in 2007-2011, “organized the falsification of evidence, in particular, with a view to hiding the real circumstances of the unconstitutional use of armed forces during the March 1-2, 2008 events in Yerevan, including the illegal use of firearms by officers of the armed forces.”
The report says about a 1,000 used cartridges of firearms discovered at various sites where the deadly events were unfolding were subsequently replaced with the same types and calibers of cartridges fired from the same types of weapons belonging to the police troops.
The SIS said a ballistic expert assisted in the falsification and later provided a false conclusion regarding the cartridges. The expert, who is not identified by his full name yet, was also charged in the case. Both men have been put on the police wanted list. The SIS has asked the court to choose arrest as a measure of restraint against both Harutiunian and the ballistic expert.
Harutiunian, who has the rank of a major-general of justice, quit his senior position at the Armenian Investigative Committee in July.
While leading the investigation into the 2008 post-election violence, in which 10 people were killed, Harutiunian repeatedly denied at meetings with journalists that the probe was being conducted improperly.
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