The shootout occurred shortly after midnight in Merdzavan, one of the nine villages making up the community run by members of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s Civil Contract party. The gunfire damaged the gate of village chief Mher Akhtoyan’s house and a grocery store located 30 meters away. It was intense and lasted for quite a while, according to local residents.
“We woke up to the gunshots,” said one woman. “When we arrived, one person was already dead.”
The victim is Akhtoyan’s cousin who celebrated his 29th birthday anniversary in the house on Tuesday.
The village chief refused to speak to journalists. His brother Davit described the shootings as an attack on his house. But he would not say who he thinks carried out it. Other villagers were also reluctant to give possible reasons for the deadly incident.
Armenia’s Investigative Committee said, meanwhile, that two men have been arrested in connection with shootings. But it did not name them.
Mher Akhoyan is also under investigation, having been charged with abuse of power last year. He was released from custody in November.
Also in November, the pro-government mayor of the wider community, Lyudvig Gyulnazarian, resigned two days after being reportedly involved in a violent dispute in Yerevan that left one person dead. The Armenian government appointed him as acting mayor last month, however, in preparation for the fresh election that will be held in the community on March 30. Gyulnazarian will top the ruling party’s list of election candidates.
Gun violence in Armenia has increased significantly during Pashinian’s almost seven-year rule. The Armenian police recorded 109 armed robberies, shootouts and other firearm-related crimes last year, up from 94 in 2023. They soared by 40 percent in 2023.
Pashinian expressed in November serious concern about “very big problem,” ordereing law-enforcement authorities to do more to tackle it. Opposition politicians blame his administration for the increased number of these and other crimes.
