Investigative Committee Provides Details on Criminal Case Involving Samvel Karapetyan's Nephew

The Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia is conducting necessary investigative actions in a criminal case related to extortion of particularly large sums from a citizen, ensuring a comprehensive investigation into all circumstances of the incident and identifying the participants involved.

The Investigative Committee reports that based on the collected evidence, charges have been brought against two individuals. On July 4, 2019, at 02:00, a notification was received from a hospital regarding a man born in 1989 who had sought medical assistance for multiple abrasions on his back and a contusion diagnosis of the soft tissues located in the frontal and occipital areas.

On the same day, the injured citizen provided a report and an explanation stating that he had been subjected to violence by a young man born in 1990 and three other individuals around 19:30 on July 3. Subsequently, around 01:00 on July 4, the same young man, alongside ten others, assaulted him and his friend while threatening them with death and demanding a large sum of money through extortion.

A criminal case has been initiated by the Central Division of the Police of the Republic of Armenia under the characteristics of Article 182, part 3, clause 2, and Article 118 of the RA Criminal Code, with the preliminary investigation being carried out by the Investigative Committee's main department for investigating crimes against individuals. The 30-year-old man and his friend have been recognized as victims.

During the preliminary investigation, extensive investigative actions have been undertaken, forensic medical examinations, forensic trace examinations, and forensic audio-visual examinations have been assigned, and confrontations have been conducted. An objective investigation established that the 28-year-old young man, having reached a preliminary agreement with his friend to illegally appropriate particularly large sums through extortion, used violence against the 30-year-old man on July 3, 2019, around 19:30 on Alek Manukyan Street in Yerevan. Later that evening, at around 22:30, he met again in a café in Yerevan and demanded that the victim pay a particularly large sum of money.

After receiving a refusal, the 28-year-old young man called the victim and summoned him for a meeting at a restaurant in Yerevan. During the meeting, attended by other individuals as well, he continued to demand the particularly large sum while threatening violence against the victim and his family members, again resorting to violence against both the 30-year-old man and his friend.

Based on sufficient evidence gathered, charges have been filed against the young man born in 1990 and his friend under Article 182, part 3, clause 2 of the RA Criminal Code. A written pledge not to leave has been selected as a measure of restraint against them. The preliminary investigation is ongoing, with instructions given to the investigative body.