Agarak Resident Prevents Vehicle Inspection at Meghri Checkpoint, Engages in Altercation and Assaults Officials: Criminal Case Initiated

The investigation by the Syunik Regional Investigative Division of the RA Investigative Committee has concluded regarding a criminal case initiated against one defendant for committing violence against employees of the RA State Revenue Committee’s Department for Combating Smuggling.

As a result of investigative and procedural actions carried out during the preliminary investigation, it was established and substantiated that on September 25, 2021, a resident of the city of Agarak obstructed the mandatory inspection process of his vehicle in the customs inspection zone of the Meghri customs checkpoint. He opposed and argued with employees of the RA State Revenue Committee’s Department for Combating Smuggling, considered representatives of state authority, threatened them, pulled them, and inflicted physical injuries.

Subsequently, together with his brother, he entered the office of the head of the Syunik Territorial Division of the RA State Revenue Committee’s Department for Combating Smuggling, where he threatened and demanded to prevent the mandatory customs inspection of the vehicle, using non-dangerous violence along with his brother, pulling and hitting various parts of the body of the official with hands and feet.

Based on a sufficient combination of evidence obtained, charges have been brought against one of the brothers under the first part of Article 316 of the RA Criminal Code, and the pretrial measure selected was detention. A part of the case related to him has been separated for separate proceedings, and a notification on the conclusion of the preliminary investigation has been declared. The criminal case has been sent to the supervising prosecutor with a request to confirm the indictment and forward it to the court.

Previously, the other brother had also been involved as a defendant under the first part of Article 316 of the RA Criminal Code, a search warrant was issued for him, and detention was chosen as a precautionary measure. A decision has been made to separate this part from the criminal case and to continue the preliminary investigation in a separate proceeding. Operational-search and operational-searching measures are being undertaken to locate him and present him to the prosecutorial body.