ARMENIAN POLICE ARREST PARTICIPANT IN BRAWL IN SECOND CITY

Arminfo
29 May 07

Yerevan, 29 May: One of the participants in the late brawl in Gyumri
has been arrested. The press secretary of Armenia’s Prosecutor-General,
Sona Truzyan, has told Arminfo that the detained person is Norayr
Soloyan, who had been wounded in the leg before the brawl in central
Gyumri.

Soloyan was transferred from a Gyumri hospital to a prison hospital in
Yerevan. He has been charged under Article 258.4 of the Criminal Code
of the Republic of Armenia (disorderly conduct). The press secretary
said that measures were taken to locate the people who were wanted
and find out the identities of other participants in the scuffle.

Between 1800 and 1830 [1300 and 1330 gmt] on 20 May in Metelitsa
bar-restaurant, Gyumri citizen Norayr Soloyan, being under the
influence of alcohol and together with an unidentified person,
began a fight with the owner of the restaurant Rustam Sargsyan
(son of the Prosperous Armenia Party representative from the 34th
constituency). Disrespecting the public order and Sargsyan personally,
Soloyan spilled a glass of beer in his [Sargsyan’s] face. This became
the cause of the argument. The argument continued outside. Sargsyan
shot twice at the legs of Soloyan from an illegal Makarov gun. Being
wounded in his right thigh, Soloyan left the scene of the incident.

On the same day around 1930 [1430 gmt] on a lively crossroad of Teryan
and Ghukasyan streets, a shooting took place between Sargsyan (who was
in his Toyota Land Cruiser car with state number plates 77 ul 222,
together with a passenger Telman Karapetyan), and Spartak Ghukasyan
(son of the Gyumri mayor, in car Hummer H-2 with state number
plates 44 ss 440), with an unidentified passenger. Murder attempt
was unsuccessful for a reason not depending on the participants in
the scuffle. The participants left the scene in a hurry.

A woman (Hamaspyur Mnatsakanyan) was wounded as a result of the
shooting.

She was not related neither to the participants in the shooting nor
to the argument. Walls of houses nearby are damaged, glasses are shot
out, and cars parked nearby are damaged.

[Passage omitted: detailed description of objects found as result of
criminal investigation]

On the basis of proofs received, the police made a decision to
charge Sargsyan, Karapetyan and Ghukasyan under points 1, 6 and 7 of
Article 34-104 (attempted murder), point 1 of Article 235 (illegal
possession of arms) and point 4 of Article 258 (disorderly conduct),
of the Armenian Criminal Code. Arrest was selected as a measure of
constraint. A search has been declared.