New Details on the 'Surmalu' Shopping Center Explosion Case: 'Democracy'

The 'Democracy' newspaper reports that the criminal case associated with the explosion at the 'Surmalu' shopping center in 2022 has been transferred from the Investigative Committee of Armenia to the investigative department of the National Security Service.

According to the information we have received, the NSS is again inviting the victims of the explosion for questioning.

It is noteworthy that one year after the tragic incident, none of the owners of the shopping center have been held accountable by the pre-trial body.

Recall that in February of this year, the law enforcement system announced that regarding the fire that occurred on April 6, 2021, and the explosion and collapse that took place on August 14, 2022, at the same shopping center, the director of 'Yerevan Canned Food Factory' LLC, I.M., was arrested on February 22, 2023.

Within the framework of this case, five individuals are undergoing proceedings as defendants, including the director, the deputy director, and three business operators, whose warehouse area was the site of the explosion. However, currently, one individual remains under sanctions while the 'big players' have not yet been held accountable.

According to information from 'Democracy,' the pre-trial body had questioned Razmik Zakaryan, the owner of the 'Surmalu' shopping center, but the issue of his accountability has not been raised by law enforcement even after a year.

It is recalled that the tragic explosion claimed the lives of 17 people, one of whom has not been found by rescuers, and the relatives buried what they believed to be their loved one's ashes from the site of the explosion.

Details available in today’s issue of the newspaper.