I strongly condemn the brazen armed attack in Merdzavan: Pashinyan's response

I strongly condemn the brazen armed attack that took place in the Merdzavan settlement of the enlarged Parakar community, as a result of which the head of the community, V. Grigoryan, and his friend were killed. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan wrote about this on his Facebook page.

He, in particular, noted: “Another injured person is in extremely serious condition.

My condolences to the families of the deceased and the beloved people of Parakar. I wish the injured a speedy recovery.

RA law enforcement agencies are obliged to quickly identify all persons involved in the crime.

Also, the question of what preventive actions should have been taken to prevent a series of violence in Parakar, who should have taken those actions, and why they were not taken, should be subject to detailed analysis.

"The necessary conclusions will be drawn from this analysis."

Earlier, NEWS.am reported that on September 23, at 11:52 p.m., the Interior Ministry Police received a call that shots had been fired on the Yerevan Highway in the Merdzavan settlement of Armavir region, leaving 2 dead and 1 injured. One of the deceased was the head of the community, Valodya Grigoryan.

The second person killed is a police officer, Karen Abrahamyan, an employee of the Ararat Criminal Police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The latter was not on duty at the time of the murder; he is a friend of Volodya Grigoryan.

The incident took place right in front of Volodya Grigoryan's house. Another person was injured in the shooting, but his identity is not yet known.

Regarding the incident, Interior Ministry Spokesperson Narek Sargsyan noted: "One person approached and fired shots at them, then fled. Measures are now being taken to locate him."

There are cameras at the scene of the murder, which, according to Sargsyan, have been confiscated.

Before the local government elections in Parakar, on February 5, a murder took place in Merdzavan: an attack was carried out on the house of the administrative head Mher Akhtoyan, as a result of which the Akhtoyans' cousin's son, 29-year-old Grigor Ohanyan, was killed, and a family friend was injured. Volodya Grigoryan's brother, 37-year-old Paykar Grigoryan, was arrested as part of the criminal case.

When asked whether there is any evidence that today's murder was a vendetta and is related to a murder that occurred months ago, the Ministry of Internal Affairs spokesperson said: "All versions are being discussed. After the aforementioned incident, various people were arrested in Merdzavan, and weapons and ammunition were confiscated. For now, I will refrain from disclosing other details."