Lawyer Gor Mikayelyan, defender of the brothers – members of the Armenian national football team Gor and Edgar Malakyans’ writes on his Facebook page:

“Since yesterday, the whole Internet has been flooded with information that the football players of the Armenian national football team allegedly committed hooliganism and beat the police.

I am sure that if those who disseminated this information thought for a moment how they were violating the Malakyans’ presumption of innocence or by their actions, presenting a flawed, one-sided case, what a big blow they were inflicting on the Armenian national team and Armenian football in general.

As a defender of the players, I state that the spread information is highly subjective, one-sided, exaggerated and incomplete. In fact, even if we believe the allegations of the police in the criminal case, the case was completely different, but it is presented to the public in a completely different way.

I think we will soon see the denials from the official sources who spread the information.

P.S. The Malakyans thank thousands of fans of their game and national team, hundreds of teammates, coaches for their words of support…”

Notably, the Investigative Committee informed that:

On 30 August, 2020, at 11:20 pm, the RA Police Captain submitted a report stating that on the same day, at around 11:15 pm, based on the report received, they left for Cascade, where they noticed two young men, who pulled two police officers.

The two young men cursed loudly at the same time, one of them pulled and tore the shoulder strap of one of the police officers. The latter were brought with the help of SPS employees, their identities were found out. The latter are brothers, football players of the Armenian national team. It turned out that during the argument, one of them punched one of the police officers in the face, causing bodily injury.

The Investigative Committee reported.

On the occasion of the incident. A criminal case was initiated in the Central Department of the RA Police under Article 316, Part 1 of the RA Criminal Code (use of violence against a government official) and Article 258 (hooliganism), Part 1, which was sent to the RA Investigative Committee for investigation to Investigation Division of Kentron and Nork-Marash Administrative Districts and was accepted for proceedings.

In the criminal case, 4 police officers were recognized as victims, a number of people were interrogated, the victims’ clothes were confiscated, and forensic medical examinations were appointed.

The footballer brothers were arrested.

Note: A person that is suspected or accused of an alleged crime is considered innocent until his/her guilt is proved by a court judgment that has come into legal effect pursuant to the procedure determined by RA Criminal Procedure Code.