An Armenian opposition figure, head of a large rural community Parakar near Yerevan was shot by an unidentified person on Tuesday evening.
Mayor Volodya Grigorian was shot dead by a masked gunman outside his house in Merdzavan, Armenian Interior Ministry said. Off-duty police officer Karen Abrahamian who was near Grigorian was also killed during the gun attack, while another man named Artsun Galstian was injured.
Grigorian is linked to opposition Aprelu Yerkir party, whose leader Mane Tandilan blamed the killing on “police inaction”. However, he abstained from making any politically motivated statements.
Authorities have not arrested or identified the suspected assailant or any other individuals involved as of Wednesday evening. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian swiftly denounced the killings and called on law enforcement to solve the case promptly. He also emphasized the need to determine "what preventive actions should have been taken to stop a series of violent acts" within the community, though he offered no further details.
Another deadly shooting in Merddzevan occurred earlier in February. The incident took place outside the home of the village's then-administration head, who was linked to Prime Minister Pashinian’s Civil Contract party. The official’s cousin was killed in the attack.
Following the high-profile incident on Tuesday, Hrachya Ghazaryan, head of the investigative department in Armavir province, and Arthur Bdoyan, head of the provincial criminal police department, were both relieved of their duties.
