As a decision on whether to lift the suspension of a UCLA water polo player accused in a sexual assault is expected next week, his friends posted a video on YouTube expressing their support for the student athlete.
Hakop Kaplanyan and his attorney appealed the suspension from the university during a hearing with regents on Friday. No decision is expected until Wednesday, they said.
"I've been saying since day one I'm innocent and the facts will come out sooner or later," Kaplanyan told NBC4. "I'm kind of falling behind on my training and my studies."
He maintains that he was dating the woman who filed the report, and that the sex was consensual.
His attorney said they believe the suspension from UCLA was "premature."
UCLA would not comment, only releasing a statement that the student suspension review process is confidential.
Kaplanyan was arrested on April 2, but has not been charged with any crime, as the campus newspaper, the Daily Bruin, emphasized in the headline of its front-page article Friday.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office is reviewing the case to determine whether to file charges.
Kaplanyan's friends, meanwhile, posted a video to YouTube entitled, “Hakop Kaplanyan - Innocence 2013.” In the clip, several supporters say Kaplanyan is “dedicated,” “intelligent,” “honest,” “optimistic” and “caring.”
The friends, in montage, boast about Kaplanyan's record in the pool and said he's "facing a rough obstacle," being accused of "actions that he did not commit."
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"Our friend Hakop is trying to prove his innocence," one student states in the video.
Kaplanyan and his attorney hope that a petition with 700 signatures attesting to his character will help make their case to lift his suspension.
Kaplanyan's arrest came the same day that an unidentified female acquaintance filed a report with UCLA police alleging she was sexually assaulted in a student residence hall.
After the news broke, Kaplanyan's lawyer, Berc Agopoglu, wrote on Facebook that his client would appeal his suspension, saying Kaplanyan is "completely innocent."
"Mr. Kaplanyan does have his legal rights and at this point he is reserving them for future purposes," his attorney wrote. "We believe this matter will be resolved once the investigation is completed within its due course."
The victim has not spoken out.
