Three Charged in the Death of a 59-Year-Old Man in Vedi Following Assault

The Investigative Committee of Armenia has revealed the circumstances surrounding the murder of a 59-year-old resident of Vedi city following extensive investigative and procedural actions by the Ararat Regional Investigative Department.

According to the factual data obtained during the investigation, on January 5, 2021, a 61-year-old resident of Vedi organized a gathering in a common room for the elderly located in the administrative building of the Vedi community, where he lived, along with a 59-year-old man, a 55-year-old man, and two 17-year-old local juveniles, as well as a 57-year-old resident of Goravan village. During the event, the youngsters played music on their mobile phones and danced.

After some time, around 10:00 PM, the 59-year-old man shouted insults at the attendees, demanding that they quiet down and not disturb him. In response to these insults, the other attendees assaulted the man by hitting him multiple times with their hands and feet while he lay on the couch. The resident of Goravan also struck him on the head with a guitar and, along with one of the other participants, continued to inflict numerous blows to different parts of the man’s body, causing severe injuries incompatible with life.

Two days later, on January 7, the 61-year-old and 55-year-old residents of Vedi placed the victim's body in a wooden box in the same room. The next day, between midnight and 1:00 AM on January 8, the two 17-year-olds transported the box in a Toyota Corolla to a landfill near the fields of Kaghzrashen village, abandoned it there, and left the scene.

Based on sufficient evidence, the 61-year-old resident of Vedi has been charged under Article 104, Part 2, Clause 7 of the Criminal Code of Armenia, and a detention measure has been applied against him. One of the 17-year-olds has also been charged under the same article, while the other 17-year-old and the 55-year-old man face charges under Article 334, Part 1. A signature not to leave the country has been chosen as a preventive measure for them. The criminal prosecution of the Goravan resident has been discontinued due to his death.

The pre-investigation has been completed, and the criminal case has been sent to the prosecutor overseeing the case for the confirmation of the indictment and submission to the court.

Notice: A suspect or accused in the alleged crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty in accordance with the established procedure of the Criminal Procedure Code of Armenia by a legal court decision.