Who Set Fire to the Doors of the Synagogue in Yerevan? Investigative Committee Provides Details

On November 15, 2023, a report was received regarding a fire set by an unknown individual at the entrances of the first and second floors of a building located at 23 Nar-Dos Street in Yerevan, causing property damage, according to the Investigative Committee.

In connection with the incident, a criminal case was initiated on November 16, 2023, in the Erevan investigative department of the Investigative Committee of Armenia under Article 264, Part 2, Section 2 of the Armenian Criminal Code. During the preliminary investigation, an inspection of the crime scene was conducted, and several individuals were interrogated. A corresponding expert examination was appointed to determine the extent of the property damage. The police were instructed to carry out operational-investigative measures to discover the circumstances of interest for the investigation and to identify the person who committed the crime.

It was established during the preliminary investigation that the building in question is used for Jewish religious purposes. Evidence was obtained indicating that the person who committed the aforementioned actions is not a resident of Armenia and is not a citizen of Armenia. According to the information received, this individual left the territory of Armenia immediately after committing the criminal act. There are also indications that these criminal acts were filmed by the perpetrator. Through the examination of the footage and other factual circumstances, it was revealed that this individual committed an apparent crime with the intent to incite racial, national, ethnic, or religious enmity by destroying or damaging cultural values. The recorded footage was posted and disseminated on an Azerbaijani Telegram channel, and the same video was published on the 'X' social platform.

Considering that the preliminary investigation obtained evidence indicating the intent to incite racial, national, ethnic, or religious enmity by damaging cultural values, including buildings of religious or ceremonial significance, new criminal proceedings were initiated under Article 146 of the Armenian Criminal Code, which have been combined into one case. Following investigative jurisdiction, this case has been sent to the Investigative Department of the National Security Service of Armenia for further investigation.