Meruzhan Mkhoyan, an independent candidate for MP in Election District 21, was beaten up during a brawl earlier today in the Sardarapat village of Armavir Marz.

Mkhoyan’s wife told Hetq that there was a knock on the door at around 6am. A group of unidentified men entered the house and dragged Mkhoyan from his bed.

The wife says that the men were armed and had arrived in two cars.

Mkhoyan’s nephew jumped in a car and followed the two cars to a bridge on the outskirts of the village where he tried to cut them off. Instead, he hit the side of the road but sustained no injuries.

Supporters of Mkhoyan eventually found him near the village cemetery. The wife claims that about thirty cars showed up with people who demanded that Mkhoyan pull out of the race. She says that shots were fired.

Mkhoyan’s wife says her husband is determined to remain a candidate.

There are three candidates for Election District 21 – Aleksan Petrosyan (Republican Party), Sedrak Hovhannisyan (HHZh) and Mkhoyan.

Surprisingly, Sardarapat Mayor Babken Vardanyan told Hetq that he was unaware of what had happened.

Local police say they have received no report of illegal gunfire, even though two individuals were admitted to hospital with injuries.

Police are at the hospital conducting an inquiry.