Conviction in Case of Man Who Set Fire to Kocharian's Book Advertisement Poster

The Court of General Jurisdiction of Ararat and Vayots Dzor Regions has rendered a guilty verdict in the case of a man who set fire to an advertisement poster for the book of the second President of Armenia, Robert Kocharian. Under the presidency of Judge Tatul Poghosyan, the court found Sargis Janbazyan guilty of arson and sentenced him to six months of imprisonment; however, the punishment will not be enforced conditionally.

The court decided to impose a one-year probation period, during which the supervision of the defendant will be managed by the territorial body of the Probation Service of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia. The start date of the probation period will be calculated from the date of registration with the territorial body of the Probation Service.

It is noteworthy that the incident occurred on May 9, 2021, around 00:30. Sargis Janbazyan approached the advertisement panel located on Shahumyan Street in Ararat city, owned by the company 'Image MG,' and decided to set it on fire. He attached a piece of cloth to a metal wire, wrapped a stone in it, threw it, and passed it over the panel. After soaking the cloth in a flammable liquid, specifically gasoline, he ignited it with a match, intentionally destroying the poster and causing property damage to the company in the amount of 85,050 drams. A signature was chosen as a measure of restraint, prohibiting him from leaving the area. The defendant acknowledged his guilt regarding the charges but refused to provide testimony.