STEPANAKERT (Armenpress)–Vardan Taschian–the defendant accused of participating in the assassination attempt of Karabakh president Arkady Ghukasian last March 22–told the ongoing trial in Stepanakert that he was subjected to physical abuse once during the preliminary investigation. He said he shared former commander of the Karabakh army Samvel Babayan’s views regarding political issues.
Taschian re-confirmed all the testimonies he had given both in the course of the preliminary investigation and during the trial.
Later–the court proceeded to interrogate another defendant–David Ghoulian–who is charged with the preparation of the act of terrorism and complicity–in particular–ensuring the direct executors’ departure from the place of action. He confirmed his previous testimonies that Samvel Babayan had organized the act of terrorism. Ghoulian told in details about two failed assassination attempts on Ghukasian–which had been carried out after persistent deman’s from Samvel Babayan.
He also confessed that after firing at Ghukasian’s limousine–Sasoun Aghajanian–another defendant–ordered him to get rid of the masks and gloves they had used. David Ghoulian told the court that he had begun to testify to the investigation after he was shown written evidence of the other accused–in which all the actions connected with his role in the organization and execution the act were precisely described.