Former vice-chief of RA Police again involved in March 1, 2008 case 

ArmInfo. Former Deputy Chief of Police Sasha Afyan is again a defendant in the case of the events of March 1, the Prosecutor General's Office reports.

According to the source, on August 11, 2025, the Prosecutor General  of the Republic of Armenia Anna Vardapetyan overturned the decision  of January 30, 2020 to terminate the criminal prosecution against  former Deputy Chief of Police Sasha Afyan. The basis for the decision  was the complaints of the victims in the criminal case on the events  of March 1.

The department recalled that during the criminal proceedings it was  established that Sasha Afyan, appointed Deputy Chief of Police under  the Government by the decree of the second President of the Republic  of Armenia Robert Kocharyan on February 12, 2008, on March 1, 2008,  exceeding his official powers, in collusion with other persons,  organized the actions of various police units, involving the use of  violence and special means, to disperse peaceful protesters holding a  sit-in on Freedom Square in Yerevan, and then to prevent their  gatherings, possible demonstrations and gatherings in the central  parts of the city, thereby causing significant harm to the rights and  legitimate interests of citizens, the legitimate interests of society  and the state. On October 26, 2019, Sasha Afyan was charged under  Part 2 of Article 38-309 of the Criminal Code adopted on April 18,  2003. The criminal prosecution against him was terminated on January  30, 2020, due to the expiration of the statute of limitations.

On July 28, 2025, the Prosecutor General's Office received statements  from two victims in criminal cases.  The applicants stated that they  had not received a ruling to terminate the criminal prosecution  against Sasha Afyan and only recently learned from articles published  on the Internet that the criminal prosecution against Sasha Afyan had  been terminated back in 2020. They are appealing this ruling and  asking for it to be reviewed.

Having examined the complaints of the victims, as well as having  familiarized herself with the materials of criminal case No.  62202608, the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Armenia stated  that the decision of the investigator conducting the proceedings on  the termination of the public criminal prosecution initiated against  Sasha Afyan under Part 2 of Article 38-309 of the Criminal Code,  adopted on 18.04.2003, dated January 30, 2020, is subject to  cancellation, given that the act of which Sasha Afyan is accused is  prohibited from applying the statute of limitations (including the  decision of the Cassation Court in the case of Grisha Virabyan).

The Prosecutor General, guided by legal norms and legal positions  expressed in the decision of the Cassation Court dated November 26,  2021 on criminal case No. ED/0273/01/19, considered the citizens'  complaints filed within the time limit established by law and  overturned the investigator's decision dated January 30, 2020.

Recall that on March 1, 2008, after the regular presidential  elections held on February 19, in which Serzh Sargsyan won, riots  broke out in Yerevan, resulting in clashes with law enforcement  officials. The Armenian opposition, led by the first president Levon  Ter-Petrosyan, who also ran in the elections, held rallies in the  center of Yerevan since February 20, expressing dissatisfaction with  the voting results. The protests turned into riots and clashes  between protesters and law enforcement on March 1-2, resulting in 10  deaths, including police officers, and over 200 injuries of varying  severity.

On August 17, 2018, Nikol Pashinyan stated that the case of the  events of March 1-2, 2008 in Yerevan had been fully resolved. "I will  repeat once again and say this with full responsibility: there is no  option for any of the criminals, their leaders, to escape  responsibility. There is no such option," he emphasized.

It should be noted, however, that so far none of the responsible  persons have been punished for that crime.