Prosecutor's Explanation on the Case of Garnik Petrosyan's Suicide from the Kyiv Bridge

On the evening of November 13, 2020, the body of 27-year-old Garnik Petrosyan was discovered beneath the Kyiv Bridge. A forensic examination has been ordered, and on November 14, a criminal case was initiated at the Investigative Department of the Ajapnyak and Davtashen administrative districts under part 1 of Article 110 of the Criminal Code of Armenia.

During the investigation, it was revealed that Petrosyan was arrested on November 10 for suspected involvement in organizing and carrying out mass disturbances related to violent acts, destruction of property, and armed resistance against representatives of the authorities following the announcement of a trilateral statement on ceasing hostilities. He was detained under parts 1, 2, and 4 of Article 225 and Article 301 of the Criminal Code. On November 13, the authorities announced charges against him under the same articles.

As the 72-hour period for his detention expired on the same day at 20:00, Petrosyan was released. That same day, a request was submitted to the court for his detention as a measure of restraint.

On social media, rumors circulated claiming that Petrosyan did not commit suicide but rather was murdered, either pushed off the Kyiv Bridge or through other means. To avoid various speculations, it is necessary to clarify that according to the interrogation record of the accused, the interrogation was completed on November 13 at 21:00, while the incident occurred at 22:04, based on the acquired data.

There is an eyewitness in the case who stated that on November 13, around 22:00, while walking towards the Kyiv Bridge, he noticed Petrosyan alone, holding onto the flags, climbing the metal barrier of the bridge. Before he could alert authorities by calling 911 to prevent any potential adverse outcomes, he saw that Petrosyan was no longer there. Immediately after, he and two other individuals saw someone below, in the roadway, and confirmed with the arriving law enforcement officers that it was indeed the person who had climbed the barrier of the bridge.

The eyewitness also noted that Petrosyan was alone, and there were no other people along that section of the bridge. Two other random passersby, referred to by the eyewitness, provided nearly identical testimony.

Furthermore, the video recordings from cameras installed at the intersections of Halabyan Street and the Kyiv Bridge on the day of the incident were reviewed. As a result, it was determined that on November 13, 2020, Petrosyan had gone to the Kyiv Bridge alone and jumped off the barrier after climbing it alone.

During the interrogation as a suspect in the aforementioned criminal case, Petrosyan, in the presence of his lawyer, noted that he had previously attempted suicide in 2010 by taking pills, after which he was under registration at a relevant health center until 2019, receiving appropriate medications, which he stopped taking voluntarily and without medical direction in January 2019.

The preliminary investigation is ongoing. In order to clarify the circumstances of the incident, the reasons for Petrosyan's suicide, and several other factors, instructions have been given to the police, and necessary investigative, procedural, and operational-search measures are being conducted under proper prosecutorial supervision. All publications related to the incident identified during the media monitoring conducted by the Prosecutor's Office are being forwarded to the prosecuting body for verification of the mentioned circumstances and to be subjected to investigation.