Ara Badoyan, Arrested in Ara Rat Mirzoyan Case, Seeks European Court's Intervention

According to the 'Zhoghovurd' newspaper, Ara Badoyan, who was arrested in the case involving the Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan's assault, has appealed to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and presented the circumstances surrounding his detention, stating that he is being held illegally.

According to the information received, the ECHR has expressed interest in the case and requested documents and additional information from Armenia regarding this incident.

It should be noted that on January 17, 2023, the National Security Service reported that Badoyan had gathered with a group of dissatisfied citizens regarding the terms of the 2020 ceasefire, in front of the government and National Assembly administrative buildings in the capital, Yerevan, as well as near the residence allotted to the Prime Minister, where mass disturbances were taking place. According to the same statement, he joined the participants of the violent demonstrations against the Speaker of the National Assembly, Ararat Mirzoyan, breaking through the crowd, approached Mirzoyan who was already on the ground, and kicked him.

As a result of the violence inflicted by Ara Badoyan and other participants of the mass disturbances, Ararat Mirzoyan sustained numerous bodily injuries, lost consciousness, suffered damage to his eye, and was transferred to the 'Erebuni' medical center. Consequently, Ara Badoyan was detained.

The National Security Service did not disclose the identity of Ara Badoyan, who allegedly assaulted Ararat Mirzoyan. The 'Zhoghovurd' newspaper has clarified that he is Ara Badoyan. The NSS investigation also reported that the only decisive evidence of the incident is a YouTube video, where, however, it does not show Ara Badoyan hitting Ararat Mirzoyan or the circumstances of the violence. Furthermore, the footage reveals a tumultuous situation with a massive crowd, including Ara Badoyan.

It is noteworthy that Ararat Mirzoyan is not visible in the footage, nor are Badoyan’s feet seen, with the investigative department baselessly concluding that ‘... according to the general movement, the foot moves twice towards the area where Ararat Mirzoyan is located, after which [...] departs [...]’. However, it has been stated in an important provision that ‘... he kicked Ararat Mirzoyan once with his foot’. Thus, it is evident that there is no proper evidence of Ara Badoyan hitting Ararat Mirzoyan, yet he has been in custody for a considerable time under the charge of attempted assault. Now, the case has reached the European Court.