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GYUMRI SHOOTING: NO END IN SIGHT FOR GANG FIGHTS IN ARMENIA'S SECOND CITY
NEWS | 25.04.13 | 15:15
By GAYANE MKRTCHYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
Once again guns were fired in Armenia's second largest city of Gyumri,
where criminal elements this week have demonstrated that the city
remains loyal to its nickname of Little Sicily. The shots also came
as a challenge to the police system said to be going through a major
reform at present.
In one of Gyumri's central streets a man named Artyom Karapetyan,
better known by his nickname Sheko ("fair-haired"), died in a gunfight
that lasted for several minutes, and Harutyun Khachatryan, a.k.a.
Kavor Harut ("godfather Harut"), got wounded. A criminal case was
filed and Gyumri's former mayor Vardan Ghukasyan, his son Spartak
Ghukasyan and two dozens of other people were detained. The former
mayor was released after having spent three hours at the police
station Tuesday night.
Shirak regional prosecutor Karen Shahbazyan told the press on Wednesday
that the ex-mayor's nephew (brother's son) Vahe Ghukasyan had turned
himself into the police in connection to this case. The preliminary
investigation had identified him as the main perpetrator.
The police has also detained suspect Kolya Ghukasyan, the former
mayor's other nephew, at the Bagratashen point at the border with
Georgia.
Board chairman of Asparez Journalists' Club, member of the Gyumri city
council Levon Baghdasaryan wrote on his Facebok wall on the day of
the incident: "After the public cross-shooting and killing incident
in Gyumri in broad daylight, all the officials regarding themselves
as small and big police chiefs should resign, pack their things and
go home, because their presence makes no difference. Is it clear,
you silly?" (RA Chief-of-Police Vladimir Gasparyan called one of the
reporters who had addressed him on April 9 a "silly, little silly".)
In reference to the fact that the incident happened in the area
adjacent to the police station, Gasparyan told GALA TV in an interview:
"The police station is of no relevance here; if the people of Gyumri,
who keep talking about their honor and dignity, let's put it this way,
thought less criminally, everything would fall into place."
Helsinki Citizens' Assembly Vanadzor office head Artur Sakunts wrote
on his Facebook wall: "Now, are these accidental words or the chief
of police really thinks so?... if he does, then I can't stop feeling
surprised, puzzled, I don't know... I am astonished... but how could
he?...How could the chief-of-police of the Republic of Armenia classify
people based on their place of residence, on what grounds?
You have imposed upon people the mentality you yourselves have made-up,
operated, sponsored and fostered and nurtured, starting from business,
education, politics, prisons and police stations, and now you are
accusing an entire population of having criminal mentality?
How cynical!"
Gyumri mayor Samvel Balasanyan has stated that he wished nothing like
that had happened again for people to resume talking about Gyumri as
a criminal city. To him Gyumri is a city of culture and sports.
The Gyumri incident is believed to be a consequence of family feud
between former mayor Ghukasyan and PAP MP elected from Gyumri Martun
Grigoryan. Back in 2008 during the Gyumri mayoral elections the
relations between the two turned sour when Grigoryan put his candidacy
against Ghukasyan. Shooting incidents and brawls with the involvement
of members of the two families have been frequent since then.
Leader of the Gyumri-based Shirak Center NGO leader Vahan Tumasuan
writes that "an armed assault on a house in daylight and murder in
one of the city's central streets are not simply grave offences but
detestable crimes, which in a city where people are overstressed
because of injustice, poverty and homelessness reaching terrifying
scales, is a heavy blow breaking people's spirits and spurring the
already enormous emigration rates."
http://www.armenianow.com/news/45602/armenia_city_gyumri_shooting_crime_vardan_ghukasya n
NEWS | 25.04.13 | 15:15
By GAYANE MKRTCHYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
Once again guns were fired in Armenia's second largest city of Gyumri,
where criminal elements this week have demonstrated that the city
remains loyal to its nickname of Little Sicily. The shots also came
as a challenge to the police system said to be going through a major
reform at present.
In one of Gyumri's central streets a man named Artyom Karapetyan,
better known by his nickname Sheko ("fair-haired"), died in a gunfight
that lasted for several minutes, and Harutyun Khachatryan, a.k.a.
Kavor Harut ("godfather Harut"), got wounded. A criminal case was
filed and Gyumri's former mayor Vardan Ghukasyan, his son Spartak
Ghukasyan and two dozens of other people were detained. The former
mayor was released after having spent three hours at the police
station Tuesday night.
Shirak regional prosecutor Karen Shahbazyan told the press on Wednesday
that the ex-mayor's nephew (brother's son) Vahe Ghukasyan had turned
himself into the police in connection to this case. The preliminary
investigation had identified him as the main perpetrator.
The police has also detained suspect Kolya Ghukasyan, the former
mayor's other nephew, at the Bagratashen point at the border with
Georgia.
Board chairman of Asparez Journalists' Club, member of the Gyumri city
council Levon Baghdasaryan wrote on his Facebok wall on the day of
the incident: "After the public cross-shooting and killing incident
in Gyumri in broad daylight, all the officials regarding themselves
as small and big police chiefs should resign, pack their things and
go home, because their presence makes no difference. Is it clear,
you silly?" (RA Chief-of-Police Vladimir Gasparyan called one of the
reporters who had addressed him on April 9 a "silly, little silly".)
In reference to the fact that the incident happened in the area
adjacent to the police station, Gasparyan told GALA TV in an interview:
"The police station is of no relevance here; if the people of Gyumri,
who keep talking about their honor and dignity, let's put it this way,
thought less criminally, everything would fall into place."
Helsinki Citizens' Assembly Vanadzor office head Artur Sakunts wrote
on his Facebook wall: "Now, are these accidental words or the chief
of police really thinks so?... if he does, then I can't stop feeling
surprised, puzzled, I don't know... I am astonished... but how could
he?...How could the chief-of-police of the Republic of Armenia classify
people based on their place of residence, on what grounds?
You have imposed upon people the mentality you yourselves have made-up,
operated, sponsored and fostered and nurtured, starting from business,
education, politics, prisons and police stations, and now you are
accusing an entire population of having criminal mentality?
How cynical!"
Gyumri mayor Samvel Balasanyan has stated that he wished nothing like
that had happened again for people to resume talking about Gyumri as
a criminal city. To him Gyumri is a city of culture and sports.
The Gyumri incident is believed to be a consequence of family feud
between former mayor Ghukasyan and PAP MP elected from Gyumri Martun
Grigoryan. Back in 2008 during the Gyumri mayoral elections the
relations between the two turned sour when Grigoryan put his candidacy
against Ghukasyan. Shooting incidents and brawls with the involvement
of members of the two families have been frequent since then.
Leader of the Gyumri-based Shirak Center NGO leader Vahan Tumasuan
writes that "an armed assault on a house in daylight and murder in
one of the city's central streets are not simply grave offences but
detestable crimes, which in a city where people are overstressed
because of injustice, poverty and homelessness reaching terrifying
scales, is a heavy blow breaking people's spirits and spurring the
already enormous emigration rates."
http://www.armenianow.com/news/45602/armenia_city_gyumri_shooting_crime_vardan_ghukasya n