Armenian Court Sentences Man to 3.5 Years for Beating Ararat Mirzoyan in 2020 Post-War Riots

Photo Credit: Narek Avagyan

A Yerevan court has sentenced Ara Badoyan to three and a half years in prison for his role in the violent assault on then-Parliament Speaker Ararat Mirzoyan during the chaotic protests that erupted in the wake of Armenian governments surrender in the 2020 Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) war. This case is a reminder of the turbulent days that followed the Russian-brokered ceasefire, which ended the six-week Azerbaijani aggression and left deep scars on the Armenian nation.

On November 10, 2020, just hours after Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia announced a ceasefire agreement, angry protesters stormed government buildings in Yerevan, including the Prime Minister’s office and the Armenian parliament. Outraged by what they perceived as a humiliating concession, these protesters accused Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of betraying the nation by agreeing to the deal, which effectively ceded significant territories to Azerbaijan and ended decades of Armenian control over parts of Nagorno-Karabakh.

During the chaos, Mirzoyan, who now serves as Armenia’s Foreign Minister, was brutally attacked by a group of rioters. He sustained serious injuries in the assault, symbolizing the deep personal and political wounds inflicted on the country during this period. Badoyan, one of the men identified as participating in the attack, was arrested shortly after the incident and spent nearly two years in detention before being released pending trial.

Photo Credit: Narek Avagyan

Meanwhile, another individual, Torgom Asatrian, continues to face separate trial proceedings for allegedly participating in the same attack. Asatrian, who was only arrested in 2023, maintains his innocence, with his defense team arguing that the charges rely heavily on disputed testimony and video evidence that may not conclusively place him at the scene.

Armenia’s Investigative Committee, led by Artur Poghosian, has hinted that more charges related to the 2020 unrest could be forthcoming, emphasizing that this remains one of the agency’s top priorities. The National Security Service also detained 18 individuals in connection with the protests, though the status of many of these cases remains unclear.