Zaruhi Postanjyan Appeals to Prosecutor General and Human Rights Defender Regarding Her Husband's Car Arson Incident

President of the 'Yerkir Tsirani' party and lawyer Zaruhi Postanjyan has appealed to Prosecutor General Artur Davtyan and Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan regarding the arson of her husband’s car that occurred four days ago in the yard of residential buildings on Kasyan and Gulbekyan streets. She highlighted the lack of thorough investigation by law enforcement agencies into what she described as a terrorist act, specifically pointing out that no steps have been taken to initiate a criminal case or conduct a comprehensive examination.

The appeal states: 'On August 5, 2021, around 3:30 AM, a terrorist act occurred near the metro Friendship in the Arabkir administrative district of Yerevan, about 500 meters from the Kasyan and Gulbekyan residential buildings' courtyard (Address: Kasyan 12, Yerevan). An explosion and fire occurred from a parked vehicle adjacent to a natural gas pipeline providing gas to the Arabkir community. The front part of a diesel-powered 'Mercedes' almost turned to ashes. The vehicle belongs to Zaruhi Postanjyan's husband, Dr. Suren Drampyan, who is a doctor, and the incident took place in the yard of Zaruhi Postanjyan's home.

About 100 hours have passed since the explosion and fire, yet the Republic of Armenia, represented by law enforcement agencies, has failed to fulfill its primary obligation to conduct a thorough investigation into the terrorist act (initiate a criminal case and carry out a comprehensive examination). The burned vehicle and another car parked next to it, which also suffered damage due to the terrorist act, remain at the scene at the request of the police.

The terrorist act caused both moral and material damage. However, law enforcement agencies have not granted the victims a procedural status or provided them with protective measures as recognized by state protocols. By correlating the facts, it becomes evident that the Republic of Armenia not only fails to fulfill its obligations in combating terrorism but also, through inaction, essentially shelters terrorism, creating an atmosphere of fear and anxiety among society regarding the protection of rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia.

The failure to investigate a terrorist act involving the use of explosive and incendiary materials (weapons) poses a serious risk in residential areas of Yerevan, indicating a rejection of state responsibilities. As of now, the people of the Republic of Armenia have not received official clarification from the authorities regarding the preliminary hypotheses of the crime and actions to uncover the crime (why a criminal case has not been initiated and why a comprehensive examination has not been conducted).

It can be stated that political and social figures living and working in Yerevan have become targets of terrorism. From the perspective of physical security, Yerevan, which should be considered a special object requiring anti-terrorism protection, is not regarded as such. This means that the rejection of state responsibilities creates more favorable conditions for the commission of new terrorist acts. Therefore, I expect effective intervention to address the issues raised in this appeal.'