Family of slain man protests in Yerevan, alleges biased investigation in Artashat shooting case

Relatives of a man killed in a 2024 shooting in Artashat, a town in Armenia’s Ararat Province, staged a protest outside the Armenian government building on Thursday, alleging that the authorities conducted a biased investigation and wrongfully detained their family members.

Police said the incident occurred on Nov. 8, 2024, when multiple people with gunshot wounds were taken to the Artashat Medical Center. One of them, 15-year-old Ruben Rubenyan, later died in surgery. Authorities reported that earlier that evening, a confrontation near the road from Artashat to Vostan village escalated into a shootout between two men, resulting in the death of 46-year-old Artak Matevosyan and injuries to another man.

At the protest, Matevosyan’s relatives claimed that his son, Tigran Matevosyan, and nephew, Arman Matevosyan, who are currently under arrest, were not responsible for the killing. They argued that the investigation ignored key suspects and relied on unreliable testimony.

Artur Khachatryan, the victim’s brother, said the conflict began as a dispute among young men that later escalated. He alleged that Rubenyan and a group of others later assaulted Tigran Matevosyan and that investigators failed to identify all individuals involved.

Khachatryan criticized prosecutors for referring to “three unidentified persons” in the case, questioning how a homicide investigation could proceed without identifying all participants.

Family members also claimed that surveillance footage contradicts the official version of events and that multiple firearms were used, while investigators have focused on a limited set of evidence.

Romik Matevosyan, Arman Matevosyan’s father, said only one person from the opposing side has been detained, while several individuals from his side face charges. He called for additional investigative actions and a postponement of the upcoming court hearing scheduled for March 31.

Another relative, Hermine Khachatryan, accused investigators of relying on a false witness statement and called for the arrest of the lead investigator. She also urged Prosecutor General Anna Vardapetyan to meet with the family, saying they possess evidence that the actual perpetrator remains at large.