Video of Attack on Former Supreme Court President's Home

Tert.am presents footage of the attack on the private residence of former President of the Supreme Court of Armenia, Arman Mkrtumyan, located in Dzoraghbyur. The attack occurred on August 28, 2018.

The case related to the assault is currently in court, with three individuals - Hovhannes Rizhenko, Gagik Danoyan, and Mais Mkrtchyan - holding the status of defendants. They are charged with armed robbery, illegal possession of weapons, and attempted murder, while the Mkrtumyans are recognized as victims.

Today, a court session took place at the Yerevan General Jurisdiction Court, presided over by Judge Vardan Armenaki Grigoryan. During the session, Hovhannes Rizhenko's lawyer, Arman Arzumanyan, presented an appeal. He had previously submitted a motion for a proper legal assessment of Mkrtumyan's actions at the end of the pre-trial investigation, which was denied, prompting Arzumanyan to appeal to the court.

According to the lawyer, the security cameras at Mkrtumyan's home captured footage showing that Gor Mkrtumyan initially fired a gas pistol, of the "Walter" model, at Hovhannes Rizhenko's face, while Arman Mkrtumyan struck Rizhenko’s body with an object. The video shows that an automatic weapon was already in Gor Mkrtumyan's hands, and he was using it to hit Hovhannes Rizhenko.

According to the lawyer, at that moment, the armed attack had already ceased. "Moments later, Arman Mkrtumyan struck Hovhannes Rizhenko several times on the head with the handle of the pistol. It is evident from the video that it is not Arman and Gor Mkrtumyan who are subjected to violence, but Hovhannes Rizhenko, which means that his aggression or resistance has already stopped, and he is merely defending himself," the lawyer described.

The lawyer asserted that Hovhannes Rizhenko was nearly unconscious and unable to control his body, having lost coordination and vision due to the gunfire from the gas pistol aimed at his face.