Cases of assault, bodily harm and murder in Armenia are investigated by the Investigative Committee. The charge depends on the gravity of the harm, the form of guilt and the circumstances of the incident. An assault lawyer works on each of these questions from the first questioning. Advocate Mnatsakan Marukyan, a criminal defense lawyer in Yerevan, defends persons accused of violent crimes at every stage of the case.
The first hours after an incident
- Ask for a lawyer at once. Until the lawyer arrives, use the right to remain silent.
- Do not tell your “version” in the heat of the moment. Explanations given in shock are written down and used later.
- If you were injured too, ask for a medical examination at once and keep all medical documents. Injuries heal quickly, and the evidence disappears with them.
- Do not contact the victim, his relatives or the witnesses yourself. This can be seen as pressure and become a ground for detention.
- Do not post about the incident on social media.
- Within 72 hours you must be released or brought before a court. Only a court can order detention.
More on this: what to do if you are arrested. If a family member was arrested, read what to do when a relative is detained.
What an assault lawyer does in your case
Self-defense
Harm caused while defending oneself or others from an attack is not a crime if the limits of necessary defense were not exceeded. When the limits were exceeded, the law provides a separate, less grave qualification. The defense collects the facts: who attacked first, whether there were weapons or objects, how many attackers there were and what injuries the accused has. Video from street and shop cameras is often deleted after a short time, so the defense asks for it at once.
Intent or negligence
Death or grave harm caused by negligence is punished much less severely than an intentional act. Intentional grave harm to health that caused death by negligence is a different crime from murder. The defense examines the mechanism of the injury, the force, the weapon or object, and what the person wanted and could foresee. The law also treats separately an act committed in a sudden state of strong emotional disturbance caused by violence or a grave insult from the victim.
Forensic medical examination
The forensic medical expert determines the gravity of the harm, the mechanism and time of the injuries and, in a death case, the cause of death. The qualification of the act depends on these conclusions. The defense puts its own questions to the expert, studies the medical records and can ask for an additional or repeat examination, including one by a commission of experts. The injuries of the accused also need an examination.
Reconciliation with the victim
For some less grave offenses the law allows the case to end when the accused reconciles with the victim and compensates the harm. This is not possible for murder and other grave crimes. Advocate Marukyan checks whether reconciliation is possible and, if it is, conducts the talks with the victim. Voluntary compensation of the harm and help to the victim right after the incident are mitigating circumstances.
Detention
In violent crime cases the investigator often asks the court for detention. Advocate Marukyan presents the arguments for bail or another non-custodial measure: a permanent address, work, family and the person’s conduct after the incident. More on this: pretrial detention.
How advocate Marukyan helps in an assault case
- He comes to the police or the Investigative Committee at any hour.
- He is present at questioning and other investigative actions.
- He asks for camera recordings and collects the evidence of self-defense.
- He puts questions to the expert and asks for new examinations.
- He defends the client at trial, in the Criminal Court of Appeal and in the Court of Cassation.
Advocate Marukyan works in Armenian, Russian and English. The first consultation is free. The office is at Athens street 3/3, Yerevan. Call +374 91 403961, or write on WhatsApp or Telegram. Advocate Marukyan is available 24/7 for arrests and searches.