Video: Who Were the Participants in the Mass Disturbances? NSS Provides Details

The investigation into the mass disturbances, public calls to seize power, and violent attempts to overthrow the constitutional order in Armenia continues within the National Security Service’s investigative department. Criminal cases have been initiated based on Articles 225 and 301 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia, targeting nearly fifty participants or organizers of the unrest. Currently, detention measures have been selected for 18 individuals, while others have been subjected to non-custodial measures.

The NSS reports that, as a result of effective investigative and other procedural actions undertaken by the investigation body, alongside parallel operational-search measures, the identities of over 250 individuals involved in the mass disturbances have been clarified, and the data of other participants are being pursued through thorough searches.

It is essential to note that, based on the factual information of the criminal case, it has been confirmed that the participants not only engaged in destruction, substantial property damage, and other similar acts but also exploited the situation to blatantly steal substantial amounts of property from state office spaces located within government buildings, as well as from the Armenian National Assembly and its session hall, with some vehicles belonging to the state having been seized.

Furthermore, the facts at the disposal of the investigation body indicate that a significant majority of those involved in the mass disturbances had never completed mandatory military service nor participated in the military operations that occurred in Artsakh starting September 27, 2020.

Additionally, evidence obtained through proper legal procedures shows that the gathering of participants for the mass disturbances was primarily organized by known anti-government figures and political allies who acted in opposition, many of whom directly committed property damage, called for violence, and executed violent actions.

Specifically, the investigation revealed a significant presence of supporters of the second President of Armenia, Robert Kocharyan, members of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, participants from the 'Will' initiative and the 'Alternative' public organization, backers of the Armenian Republican Party, former deputies’ aides, and various accused individuals linked to high-profile criminal cases, against whom procedural coercive measures have already been applied.

The aforementioned gives the investigation body reasonable grounds to assert that the true motivation behind the participation in the mass disturbances was influenced not by the outcome of the Artsakh war, but rather through the means of exploiting this circumstance to facilitate the violent overthrow of the constitutional order and seize power in Armenia, alongside committing blatant theft of substantial property.

The large-scale operational-search and investigative measures continue within the criminal case to clarify the roles of the organizers of the mass disturbances, exhibit a comprehensive picture of the committed crimes, identify other individuals associated with the case, and initiate criminal prosecutions against them.

At the same time, it has been noted that the National Security Service of the Republic of Armenia will persistently combat crimes directed against the fundamental principles of the constitutional order and the state’s security, calling upon the broader society to manifest strictly lawful behavior and refrain from yielding to provocations and calls that destabilize internal security due to personal or politically motivated reasons.