35 Fired Shells and 6 Bullets Found in the Apartment of Former NSS Director Georgi Kutoyan

The Investigation Committee of the Republic of Armenia continues urgent investigative and other procedural, operational-intelligence measures to clarify the circumstances surrounding the death of former NSS Director Georgi Kutoyan.

The head of the Information and Public Relations Department of the RA Investigative Committee, Naira Harutyunyan, reports on her Facebook page that preliminary information indicates that on January 17, 2020, at 14:30, the police of Yerevan received a call reporting that Georgi Kutoyan had committed suicide with a firearm in one of the apartments on Paruyr Sevak Street.

By the order of the Chairman of the Investigative Committee, Hayk Grigoryan, the Deputy Chairman of the Investigative Committee and the Head of the Criminal Investigation Department, Arthur Melikyan, and Deputy Head V. Mesropyan have gone to the scene. An investigative group has been formed in the Criminal Investigation Department.

A criminal case has been initiated under the first part of Article 110 of the RA Criminal Code. An investigative and procedural action plan has been developed. The scene was inspected, during which the body of G. Kutoyan was found on the sofa, with 35 fired cartridges and 6 bullets discovered on a small table in front of the sofa. Additionally, 7 cartridges and 1 bullet were found on the floor of the living room, and 3 bullets were found on the floor of the kitchen adjacent to the living room. A Glock-style pistol without a magazine was located on the floor near the right foot of G. Kutoyan.

On the dividing wall between the living room and kitchen, there were 41 wounds, including perforating ones.

According to the data obtained from the investigation, after returning to Armenia on December 9, 2019, G. Kutoyan temporarily resided at his parental home but occasionally visited his apartment on Paruyr Sevak Street. It has also been reported that in late December 2019, G. Kutoyan visited the specified apartment alone, where, after consuming alcohol, he discharged 35 rounds from his legally owned Glock 34 pistol into the dividing wall between the living room and kitchen.

Later, at G. Kutoyan’s request, his wife collected the fired cartridges and bullets and placed them on the table in front of the sofa in the living room.

Evidence has emerged that on January 16, 2020, around 15:20, G. Kutoyan traveled by taxi from the vicinity of his parental home on Arshakunyats Avenue to his apartment on Paruyr Sevak Street, informing family members of his intention to rest there for two to three days.

On January 17, 2020, unable to contact him by phone, G. Kutoyan’s relatives went to the specified apartment, where his wife discovered his body on the sofa in the living room.

Numerous interviews have been conducted, including the taxi driver being identified and questioned. For the clarification of several crucial circumstances of the investigation, forensic, genetic, trace, ballistics, and biological examinations have been commissioned. The preliminary investigation is ongoing.