Armenia’s deputy police chief murdered

by Maria Titizian

Published: Friday February 06, 2009

Col. Gevorg Mherian, a deputy chief of police of Armenia. Photolure

Yerevan - At approximately 8:30 P.M. on February 3, Police Colonel Gevorg Mherian, 33, a deputy chief of Armenia's police force, was shot dead in front of his apartment on the seventh floor of an apartment building in Yerevan. An unknown assailant fled the scene of the crime after shooting several rounds from his gun: three of the bullets hit Col. Mherian in the head and one in the chest. By the time emergency services arrived, Col. Mherian was already dead. Investigators found eight shell casings from 9 mm gage bullets.

The prosecutor general of Armenia, Aghvan Hovsepian, police chief Alik Sarkisian, and the head of the National Security Service of Armenia, Gorik Hakobyan, immediately arrived at the scene of the crime.

A criminal investigation has been launched and will be conducted by the Special Investigations Service.

Mr. Sarkisian told Mediamax that the shooting of the young colonel is a "serious shock to our structure."

Similarly on February 5, President Serge Sargsian called a consultation with all those connected with the investigation of the murder. He said, "The bullet of the criminal was directed not only toward one person, official but toward a whole system - police, the whole law enforcement system. The recent activity of Gevorg Mherian was directed toward the fight for the elimination of corruption mechanisms, and we must realize that. We must realize that and give a corresponding response. Our activities must stem from this circumstance."

Gevorg Mheryan was appointed deputy chief of police in July 2008. Previous to that he was a legal advisor to the president of Armenia, from March 2006.

He is survived by his two daughters and his wife, who is pregnant with their third child.