Detention of Individuals in the 'Surmalu' Explosion Case Without Expert Conclusion, Says Lawyer

The investigation into the explosion at the 'Surmalu' shopping center is ongoing, yet individuals have been charged and detained without an expert conclusion. This was stated by the lawyer of one of the detainees in this criminal case in an interview with News.am.

He noted that they plan to appeal the decision made by the first instance court to the Court of Appeals.

"There is still no expert conclusion that would confirm or deny what actually caused the explosion. We find ourselves in a situation where individuals have been charged and detained in the absence of the key piece of evidence in the case—the expert conclusion that would answer the question of what the cause of the explosion was. This case presents a legal conundrum," the lawyer said.

As a reminder, a powerful explosion occurred at the 'Surmalu' shopping center on August 14, resulting in 16 fatalities. One citizen is still considered missing, and search efforts for the missing individual have been suspended.

A criminal case has been initiated based on Article 357, Part 2 of the RA Criminal Code (violating fire safety rules or requirements, causing death or other serious consequences through negligence) and Article 165, Part 2 (causing the death of two or more people through negligence).

Among those arrested in the initiated criminal case are the deputy director of the 'Yerevan Canned Food Factory' LLC and three individuals responsible for the warehouse operation. The deputy director and the tenant have been charged under Article 357, Part 2 of the RA Criminal Code, while the individuals operating the warehouse are charged under Article 165, Part 2. Of the four defendants, three have been detained, while the deputy director of the 'Yerevan Canned Food Factory' has been released.