Regional Governor  Khachatryan – “They should beat and kill the guy…”

On the afternoon of January 13, a group of about 10-12 individuals lead by Mher Zakaryan, brother of the mayor of Agarak, beat up Arsen Hovhannisyan. The incident took place right in the center of Agarak, a small town south-east of Kapan in Syunik. Arsen’s friend, Sos Khachatryan, who was standing to one side when the attack occurred, was run over by a car. He is now being treated at the Agarak Hospital. We weren’t able to talk to him. Arsen says that his friend doesn’t remember much; just that a car drove into him, throwing him into the air. He can’t say who was behind the wheel. Zara Stepanyan, a resident of Agarak and a friend of the wife of Arsen Hovhannisyan, says that residents are afraid of the mayor and won’t talk to outsiders. She told us the details of her side of the story. 

Troubles go back to local elections Zara claims that two years ago, during the mayoral elections, Arsen Hovhannisyan didn’t support the candidacy of current mayor Mkhitar Zakaryan. The mayor has never forgiven him and has even gone so far to say that he will banish Arsen from Agarak. She says that Arsen also is a businessman and that he imports fuel for the Mika Company and that the mayor wants to take control of all local enterprises. Arsen Hovhannisyan says that he is married to a Russian ad that the family is citizens of Russia. “Three years ago, Mkhitar Zakaryan and his brother Mher beat my 17 year-old son. I was in Russia at the time. My wife filed a complaint but the case dragged on for so long that she got fed up and withdrew the charges. She went to Yerevan out of fear,” Arsen says. “They have been threatened us for the past three years. Today, I was talking to a policeman in the center of town. Mher, the mayor’s brother and a mob attacked me. They destroyed my car and beat me. The police are powerless to help. They too are fearful of the repercussions.” “They tried to pin the incident of three years ago on me. But it was with my brother. I wasn’t even in the area at the time and I’ll swear to it,” says Agarak Mayor Mkhitar Zakaryan. “Yeah, there was a scuffle. No one was really hurt. At the police station, the parties said they didn’t want to pursue the matter so the case was dropped. It was just a misdemeanor. I didn’t touch a hair on the head of the boy. But the family figured they could raise more of a fuss if they mentioned my name.” 

Mayor Zakaryan claims he’s being framed Mayor Zakaryan, a member of the ruling Armenian Republican Party, advised me to walk around Agarak before writing anything; to hear what the people had to say about their mayor and the incident. “To be honest, I can’t understand this campaign against me and the source. “You see, it’s one thing if they say that the mayor did it and another if they name his brother.” As regarding the January 13 incident, Mayor Zakaryan claims that he heard about it afterwards from the police. He says that it all started two days before when Arsen Hovhannisyan fired shots at Mher’s friend. “I don’t know all the details as to why. My brother had called to say that they shot at our friend. On January 13 Arsen was supposed to have shown up to apologize. He didn’t.” Mayor Zakaryan couldn’t explain why a criminal case wasn’t launched about the shooting. “I asked the same thing. Maybe the police were never informed. They would have surely investigated if they knew what happened. Our police never fail to follow up on such serious matters.” 

Local police are powerless Agarak Police Chief Armen Arakelyan never answered our phone calls. Arsen Hovhannisyan told us that the top cop knew everything but that he wasn’t following up because he’s the bosom buddy of the mayor. “You can ask around about Arsen. He likes to shoot guns and act like a cowboy. He always carries a weapon. Maybe you’re surprised that a mayor says such things, that I don’t go around carrying a gun but that he does. Arsen prefers to resolve problems in that manner,” says Mayor Zakaryan, adding that his brother is a home town guy with a small business and that he has no official position since he never went to college. “On the night of January 1, Deputy Mayor Gevorg Khachatryan, the son of the mayor’s father-in-law, again beat my son. I went outside but four cars blocked my way. I own a licensed hunting rifle and shot in the ground to scare them off,” says Arsen. “I had five shells in the rifle. If I wanted to do harm I would have shot all five rounds. They shouldn’t spread lies and say I hit anyone. They would have gone to hospital; the cops would have been called in.” Arsen says he personally informed the police and Syunik Regional Governor Souren Khachatryan about what had happened. “I talked to Regional Governor Khachatryan on the 11th. I called a second time. He said that the word had been passed along and that the police had informed those guys not to try anything with me. But they attacked me again on the 13th.” 

Response of Syunik Regional Governor Hetq called Syunik Regional Governor Souren Khachatryan for comment. What follows is an unedited transcript of our telephone conversation - Hello Mr. Khachatryan, this is Hetq calling... - Hetq? Who is that? - I am calling from The Investigative Journalists’ organization. - Fine; what do you want? - It’s about the incident in Agarak. It appears the mayor was involved… - Yeah, so what? What do you want? - Arsen Hovhannisyan, one of those injured, says that two days ago he spoke to you personally and requested protection. - Yes, I know. What protection? They should beat and kill him…Good-bye.

Hetq exposure gets results Four days after the incident, Mayor Zakaryan told us that the case had garnered attention due to Hetq and that the Syunik Regional Police had been called in. Special Investigator Armen Simonyan had been assigned to the case. “As far as I know, the primary parties have been charged – my brother and Arsen Hovhannisyan. The others are incidental. The case revolves around the shooting by Arsen Hovhannisyan of my brother’s friend and my brother beating Arsen,” said the mayor, adding that his brother, Mher Zakaryan, had been conditionally released. The following day, January 12, Investigator Armen Simonyan told Hetq that a criminal case of “hooliganism” had just been launched but that no one had yet been charged. 

Even mayor’s relatives are incensed Agarak residents told us that Mayor Zakaryan and his brother, in particular, punished the town’s youth for a variety of reasons – driving fast or smoking in restaurants – and often resorted to violence to do so. Hetq knows of three local families whose sons have undergone such treatment. Two of the families involved didn’t wish their names to be published. The third family is actually related to the mayor and despite his assurances that the Andreasyan’s couldn’t possibly have a beef with him, Shoghik Hovhannisyan, the family’s mother goes so far to call the mayor and his brother “hooligans”. “On the night of December 31st, my son and some friends went to the Marishok restaurant here in Agarak. They are boys of about 17-18. But Mher Zakaryan, naturally following the orders of his mayor brother, called the boys outside and started to verbally insult them; wishing to start a fight,” recounts Shoghik Hovhannisyan. “They’re grown men. Don’t they have any shame?

The boys brought my bloodied son home. His clothes were torn and his face was all beat up and bloodied. My son couldn’t breathe.” The mother says that three men had savagely beat her 17 year-old son Yenok Andreasyan – Mayor Zakaryan, his brother and a friend called Hayko. (Probably in reference to Hayk Hayrapetyan, an individual implicated in the January 7th incident – A.D.) Shoghik Hovhannisyan says her son was singled out merely for smoking in the restaurant. “But everyone smokes there.

The owner should tell them all not to smoke,” she says, adding that the family didn’t inform the police. Shoghik notes that everyone in town heard about the incident and that even after the brawl, the mayor’s brother went out of his way to pick a fight with Yenok. “Once he dragged my son from his car in the square and hit him in front of everyone.” Mayor Zakaryan assured us that the story told by Yenok’s mother is a pack of lies and that he was hearing it for the first time. “This has really gotten out of hand; absolutely absurd. Now I have to continually prove I’m a good guy,” Mayor Zakaryan said. Yenok’s father, Khachik Andreasyan said, “I’d rather not go into the details of what happened. It’s my problem and I haven’t forgotten, nor will I. Those responsible will get what’s coming them; in spades.”