Former Armenian Lieutenant General Detained on Hooliganism Charges Following Restaurant Shooting

The Criminal Court of General Jurisdiction of Yerevan has made the decision to impose a two-month detention as a preventive measure against the former Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia Tiran Khachatryan, who is accused of hooliganism, the Supreme Judicial Council informs.

Khachatryan faces criminal prosecution under the Armenian Criminal Code, specifically under the article related to hooliganism committed with the use of a weapon or threats to use it. The charges stem from an incident involving an argument and subsequent shooting at a restaurant in Aramus village, Kotayk Province, on January 11, resulting in a hand injury to an individual.

The injured party has been identified as the victim in this case and has been questioned as part of the ongoing criminal investigation into the incident. The authorities are diligently working to gather evidence and establish the facts surrounding the altercation that led to the shooting.

Khachatryan, a distinguished Armenian lieutenant general, had previously served as the First Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia. Notably, during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, Khachatryan was honored with the title of National Hero of Armenia for his contributions.

On June 15, 2020, the President of Armenia appointed Khachatryan as the First Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces. However, on February 24, 2021, he was relieved of his duties by the President. The dismissal, ordered by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, became a catalyst for a declaration by over 40 top military officers, including Khachatryan, calling for Pashinyan's resignation. The Prime Minister dismissed the declaration as an attempted coup.