The head of a large rural community outside Yerevan, Volodya Grigoryan, was shot and killed late Tuesday—six months after leading an opposition bloc to victory over the ruling party in a snap local election.
According to the Interior Ministry, a masked assailant opened fire as Grigoryan stood outside his home in Merdzavan, one of nine villages in the community. An off-duty police officer and friend of Grigoryan, Karen Abrahayan, was also killed. A third man, Artsrun Galstyan, was wounded and hospitalized. As of Wednesday evening, no arrests had been announced and authorities had not identified a suspect.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan condemned the killings and urged law enforcement to solve the case swiftly. He also called for an assessment of “what preventive actions should have been taken to prevent a series of violent acts” in the community, without elaborating.
Grigoryan was affiliated with the opposition Aprelu Yerkir party. Its leader, Mane Tandilyan, blamed the tragedy on “police inaction,” while stopping short of alleging a political motive.
A Community Already on Edge
Merdzavan was shaken earlier this year by a deadly shootout in February outside the home of the then village administration chief, a member of Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party. A cousin of the official was killed.
Grigoryan’s brother is among several people charged in connection with that incident; he is under house arrest and denies involvement.
The February violence preceded an April snap election in which an opposition bloc led by Grigoryan defeated Civil Contract. The ruling party conceded and congratulated the victors.
Civil Contract’s candidate list had been headed by Lyudvig Gyulnazaryan, the acting community head. Gyulnazaryan resigned in November 2024 after reportedly being involved in a violent dispute in Yerevan that left one person dead, but the government reappointed him acting mayor in January.
Rising Gun Crime Fuels Political Recriminations
Gun violence has climbed markedly during Pashinyan’s more than seven years in office. Police logged 109 armed robberies, shootouts and other firearm offenses last year, up from 94 in 2023, after a 40% surge in 2023 itself. The prime minister expressed serious concern last November and ordered a tougher response from law enforcement. Opposition groups, however, say his administration bears responsibility for the rise in violent and other crimes.
Some opposition figures directly linked the Merdzavan killings to the government. The former ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) called the murders a “message” to critics, alleging an atmosphere of “intimidation, harassment, political retaliation, [and] impunity for the ‘chosen ones’” that encourages lawlessness.
Kristine Vartanyan, a parliamentarian from the opposition Hayastan alliance, argued the government has been distracted by vendettas: “This is what happens when the government is busy doctoring recordings, arresting an 18-year-old citizen, entering the Patriarchate, and taking revenge on a benefactor, instead of foiling real criminal plans.”
The investigation is ongoing. Authorities have urged anyone with information about the shooter to come forward.
