YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)At a Tuesday hearing of the so-called "Trial of 31," witnesses Gaspar Baghdoyan and Lernik Matevossian recanted their preliminary testimony.
They denied that defendant Tigran Avetissian had allegedly encouraged them to participate in the coup. According to the witnesses–they had been psychologically forced into signing preliminary evidence created by investigators.
Baghdoyan said that the defendant had only suggested joining the peaceful movement.
Matevossian also said that he had only been asked to join the Veterans’ Union. He–too–recanted his preliminary testimony that the defendant had allegedly recruited more than ten people to participate in the alleged coup. According to Matevossian–he hadn’t been aware that criminal proceedings had been instituted against him and later dropped.
According to the indictment–the case was instituted based on a written appeal by Matevossian and Avetissian. However–Matevossian denied having written such an appeal.
