In response to the criticism circulated in mass media regarding the murder committed on February 5, 2025, in the settlement of Merdzavan of the Parakar community, claiming that a “full, objective, and comprehensive investigation was not conducted” or that “the investigation progressed slowly”, we hereby inform that the materials of the criminal proceedings conducted by the Department for Investigation of Crimes against Humanity of the General Department for Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Committee regarding 15 accused, have been submitted to the court with the indictment approved by the prosecutor.

Under criminal proceedings No. 57118925, investigated by the Department for Investigation of Crimes against Humanity of the General Department for Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Committee, charges have been brought against Arsen Norik Martoyan, Garnik Samvel Matevosyan, Georgi Avetik Manukyan, Tigran Kajik Manukyan, Martik Valentin Baghdasaryan, Vahram Kostan Nahapetyan, Andranik Razmik Bruzyan, Arsen Kostan Nahapetyan, Artyom Artur Hakobyan, Sevak Suren Galstyan, Payqar Levon Grigoryan, Vladimir Armen Khdryan, Marzpet Armen Galstyan, and Artur Armen Galstyan for hooliganism under aggravating circumstances, physical impact under aggravating circumstances, and infliction of bodily harm or other damage to health by a group of individuals against another person.

A motion to apply detention as a measure of restraint against Arsen Martoyan was submitted to the court, which was partially granted, and house arrest was selected as a measure of restraint. As for defendants Garnik Matevosyan, Georgi Manukyan and Tigran Manukyan, a ban on absence was applied as measure of restraint. A motion to apply detention as a measure of restraint against Martik Baghdasaryan was submitted to the court, which was partially granted, and house arrest was selected. A motion to apply detention as a measure of restraint against Vahram Nahapetyan was submitted to the court, which was partially granted, and house arrest was selected as a measure of restraint. A motion to apply detention as a measure of restraint against Andranik Bruzyan was submitted to the court and was granted; however, as a result of an appeal, the Criminal Court of Appeal overturned the decision of the court of first instance, and the body conducting an investigating applied a ban on absence as a measure of restraint. A ban on absence was also applied as a measure of restraint against Arsen Nahapetyan. A motion to apply detention against Artyom Hakobyan was partially granted by the court, and house arrest was applied as a measure of restraint. A motion to apply detention as a measure of restraint against Sevak Galstyan was submitted to the court and was granted. However, during the hearing on the extension of the term of the measure of restraint, the motion was partially granted—administrative supervision and bail in the amount of AMD 3 million were applied. As for Marzpet Galstyan, the motion for detention was also granted, but during the consideration of the term extension, it was partially granted—­­­house arrest and bail in the amount of AMD 3 million were applied. A motion to apply detention as a measure of restraint against Artur Galstyan was submitted to the court, which was partially granted, and house arrest was selected as a measure of restraint. During the hearing on the extension of the term of the measure of restraint, the motion was partially granted—­­­administrative supervision and a ban on absence were applied as measure of restraint.

Along with the indictment approved on April 29, 2025, the criminal case was sent to the First Instance Court of General Jurisdiction of Armavir Region for examination on merits.

On May 27, 2025, when considering the issue of revoking, modifing or extending the measure of restraint detention applied against the accused, the court replaced the detention applied against the accused Paykar Levon Grigoryan with an alternative measure of restraint and applied a combination of alternative measures of restraint—house arrest for a period of 3 months, bail in the amount of AMD 10,500,000 and a ban on absence.

By another decision held on the same day, the court replaced the detention applied against the accused Vladimir Armen Khdryan with a combination of alternative measures of restraint: house arrest for a period of 3 months, bail in the amount of AMD 1,500,000, and a ban on absence.

By another decision held on the same day, the court extended the house arrest applied against the accused Martik Valentin Baghdasaryan, Marzpet Armen Galstyan and Arsen Norik Martoyan for a period of 3 months, while keeping the ban on absence unchanged.

The mentioned decisions were received by the Prosecutor’s Office on June 4, 2025.

The decisions regarding Paykar Levon Grigoryan and Vladimir Armen Khdryan were appealed to the Criminal Court of Appeal, but the appeals were rejected.

The preliminary investigation of another criminal proceeding separated from the criminal proceeding No. 57118925, according to the charge against Armen Aram Ghazaryan under point 7 of part 2 of Article 155 (murder in a manner dangerous to the life of other persons), point 7 of part 2 of Article 44-155, part 3 of Article 297 and part 1 of Article 335 of the Criminal Code, has been completed, and the proceedings were sent to the Criminal Court of First Instance of Armavir Region along with an indictment approved on June 9, 2025. Armen Aram Ghazaryan's detention period has been extended until December 25, 2025.