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Court starts hearing Vernissage shooting case (video)

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Mnatsakan Sukiasyan, one of the five people injured in the May shooting spree near Vernissage, will be detained, Judge Gagik Poghosyan said during the first hearing in the shooting case. Sukiasyan had not submitted any document reasoning his absence; therefore it was considered unexcused absence. The hearing started with a one-hour delay and lasted only 15 minutes. Defendant Valeri Hovhannisyan unexpectedly felt unwell before the start of the trial. On May 17, Gor Arakelyan, a 29-year-old son-in-law of Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) lawmaker Karo Karapetyan, started an argument with Nerses Melkonyan and Valerik Hovhannisyan near Vernissage. Five people were injured in the shooting -  Norayr Harutyunyan and Valery Hovhannisyan, both aged 30; Myasnik Hayrapetyan, 26; Albina Badalyan, 64, and Mnatsakan Sukiasyan, 72. All the five were transported to hospital with gunshot wounds and underwent surgeries. A criminal case was instigated under Articles 235.1 and 258.4 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia. Arakelyan turned himself in to the police the next day in connection with the shooting. He also surrendered his Makorov pistol upon reporting to the police. Arakelyan is also charged under clauses 1, 6 and 10 of part 2 of Articles 34-104 of the Criminal Code of Armenia (a murder attempt against two or more persons committed in a way dangerous for the life of many people out of hooliganism) and under part one of Article 235 (illegal procurement, transportation, keeping or carrying of weapons, explosives or explosive devices). The next hearing is set for December 3.