Yerevan councilor Mesrop Manukyan charged with hooliganism after political protest

Mesrop Manukyan, a member of Yerevan's City Council from the opposition Mother Armenia faction, has been charged with hooliganism following a political protest at the Nor Nork district administration office on April 29.

According to the Armenian Investigative Committee, Manukyan and civic activist Artur Chakhoyan are facing prosecution under Article 297 (Part 2, Clauses 1 and 3) of Armenia’s Criminal Code, which covers hooliganism committed by a group through the use of information and communication technologies.

The charges stem from an incident in which Manukyan poured yogurt over a photo of Nor Nork district head Tigran Ter-Margaryan in an act of protest. Chakhoyan, who participated in the protest, has also been charged.

Before being charged, Artur Chakhoyan was assaulted by Ter-Margaryan and several employees of the district administration. He sustained injuries and was hospitalized following the incident.

If convicted, the two face penalties ranging from a fine or community service to up to five years in prison.

Their prosecution drew criticism from legal experts and human rights advocates.

Lawyer Aleksandr Kochubayev called it a "distortion of justice" and accused authorities of engaging in selective justice, where victims of violence are turned into defendants. He warned that such practices undermine public trust in the legal system and erode the rule of law.

Human rights lawyer Ruben Melikyan also criticized the charges, stating that Chakhoyan and Manukyan had exposed “classic corruption” within the Nor Nork administration, including large-scale misuse of public funds. Melikyan described the violent response and subsequent prosecution as attempts to silence civic activism and cover up corruption. He argued that the actions against Chakhoyan amount to torture as the beating was intended to punish him for revealing official misconduct.