Charges Filed Against One Person in Hooliganism Case in Gndevaz Village; Two Others Arrested

The Investigation Committee of the Republic of Armenia has confirmed that as a result of necessary investigative and procedural actions conducted in the regional investigation department of Vayots Dzor, several circumstances surrounding the hooliganism incident that occurred in Gndevaz village have been established. Charges have been filed against one individual, and two others have been arrested.

The report on the assault of a 57-year-old man by a group of individuals was received on August 25, 2019. The preliminary investigation revealed that on August 24, 2019, around 22:30, a group of individuals protesting against the operation of the Amulsar gold mine, managed by Lydian Armenia CJSC, shouted "Amulsar is ours, Amulsar will not become a mine" multiple times in the central area of Gndevaz village. A 57-year-old man nearby made a remark asking them to refrain from loud shouting during the night, so that people could rest peacefully. Following this, a 24-year-old resident of Jermuk, taking the remark badly, attacked the man, knocking him to the ground.

Then, in a frenzy to assert their dominance, the 24 and 22-year-old residents of Jermuk kicked him multiple times, after which their friends joined in the hooliganistic actions. Hearing the noise, the brother of the 57-year-old man approached them in an attempt to calm the situation, during which he fell and sustained an injury to the right side of his ear.

Based on the gathered evidence, charges have been filed against the 24-year-old under the first part of the third section of Article 258 of the RA Criminal Code. A motion has been submitted to the court to choose detention as a preventive measure against him.

As a result of the necessary measures taken, two more residents of Jermuk, born in 1993 and 1997, were arrested on suspicion of committing actions defined by the same article of the Criminal Code. The preliminary investigation is ongoing, with efforts being made to identify, locate, and present other individuals involved in the incident.