Analyst blames authorities for deadly Merdzavan shooting

Last night’s shooting in Merdzavan, a village in Armenia’s Armavir Province, left two people dead and one injured. Among the victims was Volodya Grigoryan, the opposition mayor of Parakar and the surrounding villages.

Political analyst Suren Surenyants claims that while multiple versions of the incident are circulating, some linking it to government circles, others to personal revenge or the violent clashes in Merdzavan on February 5, the political responsibility ultimately lies with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government.

“When the victim is an opposition mayor, the issue is not merely criminal but also political,” Surenyants wrote on Facebook, stressing that the state has failed to ensure public safety.

He warned that unless the case is solved swiftly and transparently, public perception will continue to hold the authorities accountable, regardless of the actual perpetrators.