Man Who Fired Shots at Erebuni Plaza Refuses to Testify: Investigative Committee

The man who fired shots at Erebuni Plaza on January 23 has refused to provide testimony. Naïra Harutyunyan, head of the Information and Public Relations Department of the Investigative Committee of Armenia, stated this in an interview with Armenpress.

“He refused to testify yesterday and requested a defense attorney. He mentioned that he would only speak in the presence of a lawyer. The Bar Association is supposed to provide him with a public defender. No further details are known at this time,” Harutyunyan said.

It is worth recalling that on January 23, at 14:40, the police received a call reporting an armed individual at the Erebuni Plaza hotel who was firing shots. The police leadership and operational groups immediately went to the scene. The individual who fired shots at the Erebuni Plaza business center has been neutralized and taken to the police station. The 33-year-old man has been arrested.

A criminal case has been initiated regarding the incident at Erebuni Plaza under Article 218 (taking hostages) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia, parts 2, clauses 3 and 7, as well as Article 235 (illegally acquiring, selling, storing, transporting, or carrying weapons, military supplies, explosives, or explosive devices) part 1, and Article 185 (intentional destruction or damage to property) part 2, clause 1.