Case of incident near Syunik governor house goes to court

The criminal case, which was opened in connection with the 2013 incident outside the house of then-governor of Armenia’s Syunik province Surik Khachatryan, has been sent to the Goris regional court of general jurisdiction (Judge Napoleon Ohanyan).

Colonel Artak Budaghyan has been charged under Article 137 part 1 of the Criminal Code (the threat to murder, to inflict heavy damage to health or to destroy property, provided there was real danger that the threat would be carried out).

The governor of Syunik province S. Khachatryan was relieved of his post after the tragic incident on June 1, 2013. An argument broke out at the governor’s house in Goris, followed by a shooting, in which former candidate for Goris mayor Avetik Budaghyan died. His brother, Colonel of Armenian Defense Ministry Artak Budaghyan, was hospitalized with a severe gunshot wound. Another man present at the scene - Nikolay Abrahamyan was also wounded and hospitalized. On September 3, 2013 a decision was taken to drop charges against Surik Khachatryan’s son, Tigran Khachatryan, as well as Zarzand Nikoghosyan who were accused in connection with the shooting in the city of Goris.