One arrested over attack on former Yerevan Municipality spokesman

One person has been arrested in connection with the assault on journalist and former Yerevan Municipality spokesperson Hakob Karapetyan, Armenia’s Investigative Committee confirmed to Panorama.am on Tuesday.

Karapetyan reported that a masked man attacked him late at night, beating him and issuing threats beforehand. The case has been opened under Article 195(1) of Armenia’s Criminal Code (physical violence). Karapetyan has been officially recognized as a victim in the proceedings.

While the Investigative Committee said it has not received a separate report on threats, Karapetyan publicly linked the incident to earlier online harassment. He said that after posting a critical Facebook comment about municipal inspectors, Avetik Babayan, acting head of Yerevan’s Public Order Service, contacted him with offensive messages and threats against him and his family.

According to Karapetyan, two weeks later, he was assaulted outside his workplace by a masked individual. He sustained injuries but managed to report the incident to law enforcement, insisting the attack was connected with the earlier threats.

An investigation is underway.