Preliminary investigation on 5 more defendants within the criminal proceeding on robbery, hooliganism, as well as interfering in the legal service activity of an official with violence committed by a group of people on December 19, 2023 in Gegharkunik region, was completed.

Through investigation conducted in the Department of Investigation of Crimes against Humanity of General Department of Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the RA Investigative Committee it was found out and grounded that the mentioned 5 residents of Noratus village, together with dozens of other fishermen in the mentioned and adjacent settlements, learning about the visit of the employees of «Sevan National Park» SNCO and water patrols of the Police of the RA Ministry of Internal Affairs, to lake Sevan planned on December 19 and about the possible removal of fishing nets illegally installed by them in the lake, had intended to interfere their legal service activity.

The fishermen, in masks, approached the mentioned officials in motor boats, surrounded their boats at the same time demanding that they should not remove their fishing nets and other items from the lake.

Being refused, the masked people, among them the mentioned 5 residents of Gegharkunik, showing a blatant disregard for legal and moral norms, first scolded the employees who had visited the lake then a part of them threw bottles filled with water and flammable liquid, sticks, iron items towards the employees on the boat.

Not satisfied with what had been done, a separate group of fishermen approached the motor boat worth about 6.7 million AMD, tied to the back of the ship of «Sevan National Park», took out the boat oars and started hitting it with them and other items, ripped the engine and other mechanisms out. 35 year-old person cut the rope holding the motorboat and hijacked it.  

Besides, about four dozen people, among them 4 of the above-mentioned 5 people, got on the boat of «Sevan National Park», hit the employees with feet, hands and other items, causing bodily injuries of several gravities and physical pain.

For the committal of the criminal acts charge was pressed against one of the 5 identified persons according to the Point 1 of the Part 2 of the Article 297, the Part 3 of the Article 452 of RA Criminal Code, against the second person – according to the Part 3 of the Article 297 and the Point 2 of the Part 4 of the Article 452 of RA Criminal Code, against 35 year-old man, who had hijacked the motor boat, according to the Point 4 of the Part 3 of the Article 253 and the Point 1 of the Part 2 of the Article 297 of RA Criminal Code, against the other two persons – according to the Point 1 of the Part 2 of the Article 297 of RA Criminal Code.

Detention was used as a pretrial measure against 4 of them, absence ban – against one.

Preliminary investigation on the part of the mentioned 5 defendants was completed and the materials of the criminal proceeding with the bill of indictment were sent to the prosecutor for approval and referral to court.

Preliminary investigation on others involved in hooligan acts is ongoing.

As it was earlier informed by the RA Investigative Committee, criminal proceeding on one more resident of Gegharkunik region – 27 year-old man was also completed. Through factual data it was grounded that after the mentioned incident in Sevan lake, when the police officers started taking measures to find those having committed crime and arrest them, while they were making citizens get into the police cars, 27 year-old young man, at knife-point, attacked a police officer and attempted to stab him. The police officer, escaping, slipped and fell down, and 27 year-old young man going on with his criminal intention and taking advantage of the circumstance that the police officer was lying on the ground, stabbed him on the back part of the waist, spoiling the police uniform.

Charge was pressed against 27 year-old young man according to the Point 2 of the Part 4 of the Article 452. The latter was detained. Materials of the criminal proceeding on him were sent to court.