A military doctor
Vahe Avetyan was an Armenian military doctor and army major. On June 17, 2012, he visited the Harsnakar restaurant complex in Yerevan with other military physicians.
Reporting described a dispute connected to the restaurant's dress code. What began as an argument escalated into a group assault involving restaurant employees or security personnel. Several doctors were injured.
The Harsnakar beating
Avetyan suffered severe head injuries and was taken to hospital. He underwent treatment but remained unconscious. Twelve days after the assault, on June 29, he died without regaining consciousness.
The death sparked protests and public discussion about private security teams linked to wealthy politicians. Harsnakar belonged to Ruben Hayrapetyan, then a member of parliament and head of Armenia's football federation. His ownership is documented context; it is not evidence that he ordered the assault.
Six defendants
Police detained six men: Garik Margaryan, Arman Khachatryan, Arman Baghdasaryan, Norayr Hayrapetyan, Artur Babloyan and Davit Adamyan. The preliminary investigation also covered injuries inflicted on Avetyan's colleagues.
The case was sent to court in August 2012. Court reporting identified the defendants as restaurant employees and described allegations of battery and intentional bodily harm causing death.
The March 2014 judgment
On March 24, 2014, Judge Davit Harutyunyan convicted all six defendants. Each received a 12-year prison sentence. The prosecutor had requested 13 years for each.
One defendant acknowledged inflicting the blows that caused Avetyan's death, but the prosecution and judgment treated the assault as group conduct. The convictions also addressed violence against the other doctors.
Questions about the owner
Lawyers for Avetyan's family asked the court to question Ruben Hayrapetyan and argued that his relationship to the restaurant required scrutiny. Hayrapetyan said he learned of the incident only afterward. The trial court accepted that account.
Hayrapetyan resigned his parliamentary seat amid the public reaction. Resignation and ownership do not amount to criminal guilt, and this page does not describe him as convicted or as the proven organizer of the assault.
Appeal ruling
Defence lawyers challenged the March sentences. On June 23, 2014, Armenia's Court of Appeal sustained the lower-court judgment, leaving the six 12-year terms in place.
The appellate result supports classifying the case as adjudicated for the six named defendants. It does not resolve every public allegation about political influence or responsibility beyond the people tried.
Why the case mattered
Avetyan's death became a rallying point for Armenian activists concerned about violence by bodyguards and unequal access to justice. Demonstrations continued after the funeral, and rights advocates framed the case as a test of whether politically connected businesses would receive special treatment.
The convictions answered who the court held responsible for the assault. Debate over institutional protection, charging decisions and the limits of the prosecution continued separately.
Current status
Six men stand convicted in the verified record reviewed for this publication, with 12-year sentences upheld on appeal. No reliable final decision overturning those convictions was located.
The page keeps the individual convictions separate from unproven allegations about anyone who was not charged or convicted.
Questions that remain
- Did the investigation fully examine supervisory responsibility at the restaurant?
- Why did the prosecution choose the final charging structure?
- Were all victims' injuries reflected in the final sentences?
- Did later proceedings alter restitution or civil-compensation outcomes?
Frequently asked questions
When was Avetyan attacked?
June 17, 2012. He died in hospital on June 29.
How many people were convicted?
Six restaurant employees were convicted.
What sentences were imposed?
Each defendant received 12 years in prison.
Were the sentences upheld?
Yes. The Court of Appeal sustained the ruling in June 2014.