Individuals Who Assaulted Mirzoyan and Committed Theft from Prime Minister's Residence Arrested

Individuals who assaulted the Speaker of the National Assembly, Ararat Mirzoyan, on November 10, 2020, and committed theft at the Prime Minister's residence have been arrested, according to the National Security Service (NSS).

As part of a criminal investigation, extensive investigative and other procedural actions have revealed those responsible for the violence against the Speaker of the National Assembly during the mass riots and for committing significant theft at the Prime Minister’s allocated residence. These individuals have been detained.

According to the NSS, on September 27, 2020, during a state of emergency declared in Armenia and Artsakh, individual A.B. learned via social media about mass riots occurring near the administrative buildings of the Armenian government and the National Assembly, as well as near the Prime Minister's residence, after the announcement of an agreement reached on November 10, through mass media regarding the cessation of hostilities between Armenia, Russia, and Azerbaijan. A.B. decided to participate in these events and went to the government residence located at 74 Dzorapi Street around 03:00 AM on the same day.

“Subsequently, A.B., violating the inviolability of the government residence, ignoring the security regime of the specially protected site, and refusing to comply with the legal demands of the employees of the State Protection Service, breached the gates at the entrance of the government residence, jumped over the fence, and entered the territory of the residence. A.B. then proceeded to the private residence allocated to the Prime Minister and, after exiting the premises, went to K. Demirchyan Street, where he joined the participants of the violent riots against Speaker Ararat Mirzoyan, breached the lines of the rioters, approached Ararat Mirzoyan, who was already lying on the ground, and kicked him, thereby committing violence against him,” the NSS elaborated.

As a result of the violence exerted by A.B. and other participants of the riots, according to the message, Ararat Mirzoyan sustained multiple bodily injuries, leading to him losing consciousness and being transported to the “Erebuni” medical center.

The investigation has also revealed that T.P., upon learning about the riots occurring near the administrative buildings of the government and the National Assembly, as well as near the Prime Minister's allocated residence around 03:00 AM on November 10, 2020, also went to the government residence at 74 Dzorapi Street and joined the participants of the mass riots.

“Subsequently, T.P., taking advantage of the situation created by the criminal actions of the participants of the mass riots, with the intent to commit theft, ignoring the protection regime of the specially protected site, and breaching the gates at the entrance of the government residence, illegally entered the premises by jumping over the fence. After this, in a similar manner, along with those who had already entered through the open gate, he walked towards the Prime Minister’s allocated residence. Following this, T.P., with the same intent, illegally entered the residence allocated to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and then, along with several participants of the mass riots, entered the bedroom on the second floor, where, fully aware of the criminal nature of his actions and the circumstances of the onlookers realizing this, he ignored them and openly stole various gold jewelry belonging to the Prime Minister's wife, Anna Hakobyan, with a total value of 3,920,000 AMD, including a gold watch found in a jewelry box, chains, a pendant, and a bracelet,” the statement said.

Afterward, according to the statement, T.P. managed the stolen jewelry for personal purposes and, on November 10, 2020, around 10:25, handed over the aforementioned stolen gold jewelry to a friend, S.S., for 551,000 AMD, while he pawned another chain for 40,000 AMD in his name on November 16, 2020, at the appropriate branches of “Fast Credit” pawnshop located in Komitas Avenue and Malatia administrative district.

Criminal charges have been filed against A.B. and T.P. based on relevant articles of the Armenian Criminal Code, and the court has selected detention as a preventive measure for them for two months. Currently, extensive and diverse operational, investigative, and other procedural measures continue within the criminal proceedings.

It is worth mentioning that when Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced on Facebook on the night of November 10, 2020, that he had signed a statement on ceasing the war in Artsakh with Aliyev and Putin, protests erupted at various points in Yerevan, quickly escalating into riots. Demonstrators demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan first attacked the government building, breaking windows and damaging property. The Speaker of the National Assembly, Ararat Mirzoyan, was severely beaten in the vicinity of the government residences.