Former commander of the Artsakh Defense Army, Jalal Harutyunyan, has filed a new appeal to Armenia’s Cassation Court, demanding that the verdict against him be overturned and an acquittal issued, Pastinfo reports.
On January 15, 2024, the Syunik General Jurisdiction Court, presided over by Judge Garik Abelian, found Harutyunyan guilty under Article 550, Part 3 of Armenia’s Criminal Code, sentencing him to 5 years and 6 months in prison. On June 18, 2024, the Criminal Court of Appeals, led by Mkhitar Papoyan and with Judges Robert Papoyan and Lusine Abgaryan, upheld the conviction.
According to the report, Harutyunyan did not receive the appellate ruling for a long time and was only handed it "forcibly" in August, triggering the countdown of the appeal deadlines. Notably, the statute of limitations for prosecution is nearing expiration, raising concerns from the victim’s side that Harutyunyan may be deliberately delaying the process. As a result, the verdict has yet to enter into legal force eight months after sentencing.
Harutyunyan’s legal team first attempted to file a cassation appeal on September 2, but it was returned for corrections. A second appeal has now been submitted, and the reporting judge is Serzhik Avetisyan.
During the trial, one episode, concerning a counterattack on October 7, 2020, was dropped during the preliminary investigation. The other episode, involving the October 12 attack on the D20 division of the "Tsor" military unit, was sent to court with a final indictment.
As a precautionary measure, Harutyunyan is currently under a travel ban.
According to the prosecution, Harutyunyan, then a lieutenant general and commander of the Defense Army, showed negligence during the war on October 12, 2020. The charges state he failed to properly perform his duties, leading to grave consequences. Specifically, during an enemy attack on the D20 division, subunit commanders contacted his deputy, Genadi Baghdasaryan, warning of the threat. However, Harutyunyan allegedly informed them that the attackers were “friendly forces.”
