"Results expected soon": 2020 attack on Armenian speaker still under investigation
Armenian Speaker assault case from 2020
“Active investigative efforts are underway regarding the 2020 attempt on the life of the Speaker of Armenia’s National Assembly, who now serves as Foreign Minister, Ararat Mirzoyan,” said Artur Poghosyan, head of the Investigative Committee, speaking in parliament on Monday morning.
Lawmakers pressed Poghosyan on why the case remains unsolved four and a half years after the attack. He responded that results would be announced “very soon.” He also noted that a new suspect was arrested in 2024.
Hasmik Hakobyan, an MP from the ruling Civil Contract faction, called the arrest of a single individual a “ridiculous” outcome. She argued that the lack of resolution fuels a sense of impunity and insecurity among the public. Citizens are particularly baffled, she said, that the perpetrators of such a high-profile attack—carried out live on television—have yet to be identified.
Poghosyan reiterated that the investigation was close to yielding results. He emphasized that authorities are seeking to uncover not only the direct assailants but also those who orchestrated the attack.
“In criminal proceedings, we make no distinction between important and unimportant cases. But this one is among our top priorities. It is under my direct supervision,” Poghosyan stated.
On the night of November 10, 2020, after the signing of a trilateral statement marking the end of the 44-day war in Nagorno-Karabakh, mass unrest erupted in Armenia. Dozens of people stormed government and parliamentary buildings. Near the National Assembly, then-Speaker Ararat Mirzoyan was brutally beaten by a mob. He sustained head trauma and serious eye injuries. Following the assault, Mirzoyan underwent multiple surgeries before eventually returning to public office.
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Details of the criminal case from the head of the Investigative Committee
Artur Poghosyan, Chairman of the Investigative Committee, provided further details on the criminal case concerning the attack on Ararat Mirzoyan. He reminded lawmakers that the investigation into the 2020 mass unrest was originally handled by the Investigative Department of the National Security Service (NSS), which he headed at the time:
“From the very beginning, extensive investigative work was carried out. Within the first one to two months, dozens of criminal cases were submitted to court. We already have convictions in several of them,” Poghosyan said.
According to him, the NSS conducted numerous operational and intelligence-gathering activities. In parallel, efforts were made to identify individuals involved at various locations across the city, with investigators working to uncover both the perpetrators and the masterminds behind the attack. The investigation remains ongoing.
“I assure you that, as we speak, the investigative division is planning urgent procedural steps in this case. We expect results in the near future. To the credit of the NSS, many previously unidentified individuals have now been identified,” Poghosyan stated.
However, he refrained from disclosing further specifics, saying he did not want to compromise the integrity of the ongoing investigation.
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Armenian Speaker assault case from 2020
