Revelatory Discovery in the Murder Case of an Informatics College Student

The Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia has revealed pivotal new details during the comprehensive pre-trial investigation into the murder of Rafik Hovhannisyan, a student at the Yerevan State College of Informatics.

Earlier, it was reported that on March 12, 2024, around 11:30 AM, the 17-year-old was near a food outlet adjacent to the college with a friend when a group of 6-7 young men, including 21-year-old D.P. and his friends A.M., 21, and H.S., 19, ran toward them. An argument ensued, during which one of the young men stabbed the 17-year-old multiple times in different parts of his body, causing him to fall. The assailants then continued to strike the downed youth with their feet and a bat. The conflict ceased after bystanders intervened, and the group fled the scene.

Later, D.P. and A.M., along with an unrelated individual, were found in Sisian and presented to law enforcement. Based on the evidence collected, including statements from A.M., criminal charges were brought against D.P. under Article 155, Part 2, Clause 5, and Article 297, Part 3 of the RA Criminal Code, leading to his detention. Public criminal prosecution was initiated against A.M. and H.S. under Article 297, Part 3, with A.M. placed under house arrest and H.S. subject to an arrest warrant.

As the investigation progressed, effective investigative tactics led to the acquisition of new evidence. It became clear that A.M., in an attempt to evade criminal responsibility, had initially provided false testimony, attributing the murder to D.P. and misdirecting the investigation. It was established that during the altercation on March 12, 2024, A.M. was actually the one who used a knife to inflict life-threatening injuries on Rafik Hovhannisyan.

Following the incident, both D.P. and A.M. took a taxi to D.P.’s home, where they left the weapon, a folding knife, and the bat. Based on the new evidence, the prosecuting body submitted requests to the supervising prosecutor to change the charges against the accused and instigate new public criminal prosecutions, which were granted. Consequently, the charge of murder against D.P. was dropped, and a new charge was filed under Article 195, Part 2, Clauses 3 and 5, and Article 297, Part 3.

The measure of restraint for D.P. remained unchanged, while a new public criminal prosecution was initiated against H.S., who had been on the run. A.M. was charged under Article 155, Part 2, Clause 5, and Article 297, Part 3 of the Criminal Code. He pleaded guilty and provided confession statements. Following the court's decision, his previous house arrest was replaced with detention. The investigation is ongoing.