The relatives of those killed and wounded in a fatal shooting in a village near the town of Aparan in Armenia’s Aragatsotn Province on Saturday staged a protest outside the Aparan police station, demanding a fair probe into the case.
Two Aparan residents, Hamik Mikayelyan and Tigran Harutyunyan, were killed and five others were injured in the shooting in the village of Nigavan on June 19, which the Investigative Committee said was sparked by a dispute between two groups of young men. The shooter, a 32-year-old resident of Yerevan, has been arrested.
Politik.am reported that the men responsible for the shooting are the relatives of Matevos Asatryan, an MP from the ruling Civil Contract party, and the cousin of Deputy Aragatsotn Governor Edgar Parvanyan. The media outlet claimed that the Aparan men were attacked because of swearing at Nikol Pashinyan. The law enforcement agencies likewise insisted that the shooting was not politically motivated.
Speaking to reporters at the protest, Hamik Mikayelyan's uncle demanded that police properly investigate the bloody incident and hold those responsible for it, including the pro-government MP and the deputy governor, to account.
“I don’t think that the dispute was politically motivated. Now I am applying to Nikol Pashinyan to ensure a fair investigation into the case. Aparan has always been a quiet place, but as long as they [the attackers] remain here, there will be no peace,” the man said.
The father of the other killed young man, Tigran Harutyunyan, also demanded justice in the case.
“A week on, only one man has been arrested. All those responsible [for the shooting] must be arrested and held accountable,” he said.