18:05, 10 October 2018

In Armenia, a key participant in seizure of police building dies

Araik Khandoyan. Photo by Tigran Petrosyan for the Caucasian Knot

Araik Khandoyan, a member of the "Sasna Tsrer" (Daredevils of Sassoun) armed unit, in August released by the court in Armenia, died, reported Varuzhan Avetisyan.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on August 17, Araik Khandoyan, a member of the "Sasna Tsrer" armed unit, was released from arrest under the personal guarantee of Armenian MPs from the "Tsarukyan" bloc.

Varuzhan Avetisyan, another member of the "Sasna Tsrer", reported on the death of Araik Khandoyan on his Facebook page. He did not report the circumstances and cause of his colleague's death. "With deep bitterness in my heart I inform you that Araik Khandoyan died about an hour ago," reported Varuzhan Avetisyan in his message posted last night and translated by the "Caucasian Knot".

Araik Khandoyan died at the age of 47. He was a member of the Karabakh war and one of the most active members of the "Sasna Tzrer" armed unit, the "Sputnik-Armenia" reports with reference to Varuzhan Avetisyan.

The "Sasna Tsrer" unit, which included supporters of the opposition "Constituent Parliament", held the building of the patrol-and-post police service in the capital of Armenia in the period from July 17 to July 31, 2016. After Nikol Pashinyan, the leader of the protests, had become the Prime Minister of Armenia, the unit "Sasna Tsrer" announced its readiness to cooperate with the new government.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on October 10, 2018 at 12:11 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.