Video: Former MP's Father Forcefully Abducted from His Village

The investigation into the abduction of an 83-year-old resident of Achajur village in Tavush Province has led to significant developments within the General Department for Special Investigations of the RA Investigative Committee. Following extensive investigative and procedural actions, as well as coordinated efforts with relevant units of the RA Police, two individuals have been arrested: 37-year-old Suren Manukyan and 25-year-old Armen Kamalyan.

As previously reported, Suren Manukyan, with the collaboration of his close associate Armen Kamalyan and a group of others, conspired to abduct the elderly man. On July 27, 2022, early in the morning, they lay in wait in a masked manner, preparing to ambush the 83-year-old victim in an Opel vehicle. At around 7:00 AM, when the elderly man exited his home’s yard, the alleged perpetrators employed physical force, forcibly placing him inside the vehicle, covering his eyes and mouth, and driving him out of the village.

Shortly thereafter, the elderly man was transferred to a TOYOTA LAND CRUISER PRADO 2.7, after which he was taken to the village of Tsater in Lori Province. He was held in a guesthouse rented from a local resident, and according to information from the RA Police, a ransom was demanded from the family members.

One of the accomplices monitored the elderly man at the guesthouse until August 2, 2022. According to the investigation, after receiving the demanded amount, the individuals involved in the alleged crime arrived at the aforementioned location in Tsater at around 2:00 PM on August 2. They transported the blindfolded man back to Ijevan city in a HYUNDAI SONATA 2.4.

That same day, around 5:30 PM, they left the man in a wooded area by the roadside and departed for Ijevan city, subsequently notifying his relatives of his whereabouts via phone. The resident of Achajur was found by his relatives around 6:00 PM that day.

Based on sufficient evidence collected, Suren Manukyan and Armen Kamalyan have been charged under point 5 of part 2 of Article 191 of the RA Criminal Code. They are being detained as a measure of restraint. The preliminary investigation is ongoing.

It is noteworthy that this incident involves the father of former MP Khachatour Kokobelyan.

Notice: The suspect or accused in the alleged crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty in accordance with the procedure established by the RA Criminal Procedure Code, through a legally binding verdict by a court.