Five Fishermen from Noratus Charged

The investigation into the incident involving a group of individuals committing theft, hooliganism, and violent interference in the lawful activities of an official on December 19, 2023, in the Gegharkunik province has concluded, regarding five additional defendants.

According to the investigation conducted by the Human Rights Crimes Investigation Department of the Republic of Armenia’s Investigative Committee, it has been established and substantiated that these five residents of Noratus, along with dozens of other fishermen from their settlement and nearby areas, decided to interfere with the lawful activities of the employees of the "Lake Sevan National Park" and the water patrol of the Ministry of Internal Affairs on December 19, upon learning about a planned visit to Lake Sevan and the possible removal of illegal fishing nets set in the lake.

The fishermen approached the officials in motorboats, wearing masks, and surrounded their boats while demanding that the officials not remove their fishing nets and other equipment from the lake. After their demands were rejected, these masked individuals, including the identified five residents of Gegharkunik province, displayed a flagrant disregard for legal and moral norms, first shouting insults at the employees conducting the patrol, and then some of them threw bottles filled with water and flammable liquids, wooden planks, and metal objects at the employees in the boat.

Not content with this, a separate group of fishermen approached the motorboat belonging to the "Lake Sevan National Park," which was valued at approximately 6.7 million AMD, removed its paddles, and damaged it with these paddles and other objects, detaching its engine and other mechanisms. Additionally, a 35-year-old individual cut the rope holding the motorboat and stole it.

Furthermore, about forty people, including four of the aforementioned five individuals, boarded the "Lake Sevan National Park" boat and used their hands, feet, and other objects to strike the employees, causing them various degrees of bodily harm and physical pain.

For their criminal actions, charges have been brought against one individual under part 2, point 1 of Article 297 of the RA Criminal Code and part 3 of Article 452, against another under part 3 of Article 297 and part 4, point 2 of Article 452, and the 35-year-old man who stole the motorboat under part 3, point 4 of Article 253 and part 2, point 1 of Article 297, while the other two were charged solely under part 2, point 1 of Article 297. Pre-trial detention has been chosen as a measure of restraint for four of them, and one has been placed under a prohibition of absence.

The pre-trial investigation regarding these five defendants has been completed, and the case materials have been sent to the supervising prosecutor for confirmation and forwarding to the court. The investigation continues concerning other individuals involved in the hooliganistic acts.

Earlier, as reported by the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia, a criminal proceeding concerning another 27-year-old resident of Gegharkunik province was also concluded. Based on the gathered factual data, it was established that following the aforementioned incident at Lake Sevan, when police officers began taking measures to identify the individuals who had committed the crime and to apprehend them based on reasonable suspicion, the 27-year-old man threatened a police officer with a knife and attempted to strike him as citizens were being loaded into police vehicles. The police officer, avoiding the strike, slipped and fell, while the 27-year-old continued his criminal intent and, taking advantage of the officer's position, stabbed him in the area behind the waistband, damaging the police uniform. Charges were brought against the 27-year-old under part 4, point 2 of Article 452 of the RA Criminal Code, and he was detained. His case materials have been sent to court.