A former employee of Armenia’s State Committee for Real Estate Cadaster has accused the agency’s head, Suren Tovmasyan, of organizing a violent attack on her husband just days after she was dismissed from her job.
Veronika Mikaelyan, who served as a senior specialist at the agency until her September 9 dismissal, called the termination unfair. She said her husband reacted by sending angry voice messages to Tovmasyan.
“A couple of days later, my husband was kidnapped, driven outside Yerevan, and beaten by a large group of men,” Mikaelyan said. “They hit him nonstop until he lost consciousness. During the beating, they told him, ‘You said this to Suro [Tovmasyan], now eat it.’ It’s obvious they were carrying out an order.”
Her husband, who sustained multiple injuries, declined to be interviewed or identified. He had previously worked for the Cadaster but resigned years ago after what Mikaelyan described as a personal conflict with Tovmasyan.
A spokesperson for the committee denied that Tovmasyan had any role in the attack. Armenia’s Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case, though no indictments have been made and it is unclear if Tovmasyan has been questioned.
Tovmasyan is affiliated with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party, which has yet to comment on the allegations.
This incident comes amid recurring accusations of violent behavior involving government officials connected to Civil Contract. Recently, journalist Hakob Karapetyan alleged he was beaten by a masked man after being threatened by a senior Yerevan mayor’s office official. Earlier this year, the heads of two Yerevan administrative districts were dismissed after being prosecuted for assault.
Critics point out that while Civil Contract supporters often stress that members of previous governments were corrupt or abusive — frequently using the term “nakhkiner” to deride them — similar abuses appear to occur under the current administration. Supporters of the ruling party argue these incidents are isolated and that legal proceedings demonstrate accountability, but opponents say such cases show a troubling pattern.
