NKR EX DEFENSE MINISTER IS SENTENCED TO 14 YEARS OF IMPRISONMENT

PanARMENIAN.Net - 26.02.2001, MEDIAMAX, YEREVAN. The sentence of NKR ex defense minister Samvel Babayan, accused of organization of the 22 March 2000 terrorist act against NKR President, is passed.

As the correspondent of Mediamax reports from Stepanakert, Babayan is sentenced to 14 years of imprisonment in colony under strict regime, 5 years of which are to be served in prison, with confiscation of private property.

The trial of the case of the terrorist act against NKR President was resumed today in Stepanakert. Sasun Aghajanian and Levon Mirzoyan, accused of direct execution of the terrorist act, are sentenced to the same punishment. David Gulian, who helped the terrorists to leave the place of crime, is sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment in colony under strict regime.

Eric Faramazian, who participated in the preparation and commitment of the crime, is sentenced to 13 years of imprisonment in colony under strict regime, 5 years of which are to be served in prison, with confiscation of private property. Another accused Garnik Tsaturian is sentenced to 7 years of imprisonment.

For the rest 10 accused conditional sentences from 2 to 6 years are passed; all of them are dismissed from under the custody. Besides, the accused, who are mainly officers of Defense Army of Nagorno Karabakh, are deprived of their military ranks.

According to the decision of the court, the verdict may be appealed against in the Court Chamber of the Supreme Court of NKR within 7 days.

The trial over NKR ex defense minister Samvel Babayan began on September 18, 2000. --0--