Ongoing Investigation: Experts release preliminary report on Gulyan, refuse to meet media

Forensic experts called in from Germany and Denmark to examine the body of Levon Gulyan have released a preliminary finding saying that Gulyan died after the fall from a police department window on May 12.

Further investigation is expected to reveal whether injuries he sustained originated before the fall – as claimed by his family – or after his body was found on the asphalt at the police station. (For full details of the incident, see “Escape or Torture”.)

Experts Markus L. Rothschild of the Cologne State University and Peter Mygind Leth of the Denmark Southern University released information on their finding, but declined from meeting the press to announce their conclusions. According to Armenia’s Ombudsman Armen Harutyunyan, the scientists signed an agreement with the Office of the Prosecutor General, that they would not release their information.

Gulyan’s family has maintained that he was beaten to death by police. Their claim is supported by former ombudswoman Larisa Alaverdyan, who questions why a witness to a crime would feel compelled to escape police questioning unless he were under severe duress during questioning. The former ombudswoman says there are previous accounts of police torture, that raise questions to the validity of the police account that Gulyan either tried to escape or committed suicide.

“Whatever the examination conclusion, it will not extenuate the guilt of the police. Moreover, how did they treat him to cause him fall?” she said.

Saturday evening a group of about 1,000 people held a candle march from Republic Square to the police office in the memory of Gulyan.

The 30-year old father of two was buried today.