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Armenia’s former Police Chief Hayk Harutyunyan, who was found dead in his home on Monday, was a witness in the ongoing criminal investigation into the March 1-2, 2008 post-election unrest in Yerevan, Prosecutor General Artur Davtyan told reporters on Wednesday.

He stressed the need to develop the witness protection institute in the country. Davtyan noted the Criminal Procedures Code envisages protection and security measures, but no mechanisms are in place and numerous problems arise in practice.

“The legislative package is currently in place and we hope that its implementation will provide for such safeguards,” he said.

Asked whether steps are being taken to ensure the safety of other witnesses in the criminal case, Davtyan said they are secret measures which the law enforcement agencies must take.

Davtyan also refuted media reports alleging that moments before his death Harutyunyan complained to another person that law enforcement authorities were pressuring him to give false testimonies against Robert Kocharyan and a retired senior police officer, adding the law enforcement agencies have obtained no such information.