YEREVAN (A.W.)—Five months have passed since Karabagh war veteran, ARF member and mayor of Proshyan Hrach Muradyan, 50, was gunned down near the municipality building, and the investigation appears to be moving at a sluggish pace. Two brothers, Arayik and Artak Petrosyan, remain under arrest, while the victim’s family has resorted to protesting in front of police headquarters demanding answers.
Arayik, 31, faced charges and criminal proceedings under Articles 104, 2.2 (murder of the person or close relative of the latter, due to service and public duty of the person) and 235, 1 (illegal procurement, transportation, keeping or carrying of weapons, explosives or explosive devices, except smoothbore long-barrel hunting guns, ammunition) of Armenia’s criminal code. Even though Arayik’s arrest term was to expire in August, he remains in police custody. Despite the lack of evidence, the court once again extended his arrest by another two months.
Law enforcement officials claimed that there was an “urgent” need to reexamine the main piece of evidence—the traces of metallic antimony (a metalloid used in the production of bullets) found on Arayik’s body and car. Reexamination of the traces of antimony may bring some clarification to the investigation, but under no circumstances can it be a solid basis for prolonging his arrest term. Even if reexamination proves that traces of antimony were the result of a gunshot, law enforcement officials still won’t be able to prove that antimony traces were the result of the exact gunshot that killed Mayor Muradyan.
Moreover, there seems to be no significant steps forward in the investigation, despite previous announcements by police that they would accelerate the investigation. So far, dozens of people have been interrogated, but no breakthrough has been registered in the case. What has been clarified, however, is that Arayik’s Lada Niva car bears a number plate beginning with two numbers, whereas authorities now say that the Niva car spotted around the time of murder began with three numbers. Investigators have ruled out that the plate could have been replaced.
Arayik’s brother, Artak, 33, who was also detained, then released and then detained again, is still in custody. He faces charges of hooliganism, for allegedly partaking in a skirmish in Sept. 2012, following Muradyan’s election victory.
Muradyan’s relatives held a demonstration near the main police headquarter in Yerevan on Sept. 2, demanding that those responsible for the Mayor’s murder be held accountable.
The Armenian Weekly will continue following this case closely.