Khachikyan Tigran Oganesovich

On February 24, 2023, in St. Petersburg, near the entrance to the Gostiny Dvor metro station, 50-year-old native of Samarkand Tigran Khachikyan fired a hunting rifle into the stomach of a Rosgvardia employee, 43-year-old Nikolai Sus, who approached to check his documents." "The OMON officer was diagnosed with multiple penetrating gunshot wounds to the abdomen and was sent to the intensive care unit. Hakchyan was detained. Chugayev said that the motive for his actions was "a protest against the ban on protests. Before the shot, he turned on the song "Arise, vast country" on a portable speaker. Later, a sawed-off shotgun, a traumatic pistol, and 'Molotov cocktails' were found in his possession. A criminal case was initiated against Khachikyan for "attempting on the life of a law enforcement officer." On February 25, the Kuybyshevsky District Court of St. Petersburg sent Khachikyan to a pre-trial detention center. At the trial, Tigran Khachikyan told his version of events, mentioning that he is against the war in Ukraine and had no intention of shooting at the riot police officer: 'I started to take out the weapon to shoot at the wheels of the special equipment, noticed that a police officer was approaching me.'" I told him to run away and pulled out a weapon. A police officer ran towards me. I fired two shots in succession at the officer's abdomen, after which he fell on me, knocked me down, and we began to wrestle. At that moment, the other Rosgvardia employees ran up and put handcuffs on me <...> I plead guilty partially. He wanted to demonstrate his disagreement with the conduct of the special operation. There were no plans to shoot the officer initially. He understood that his death could result from my actions. There is nothing more to clarify. On March 2, Khachikyan was charged with attempted terrorism. On May 25, charges were added for "illegal storage of firearms, its parts or ammunition" and "illegal manufacture of weapons, as well as calls for terrorism. According to the investigation, Khachikyan, in addition to procuring weapons and bottles with flammable liquid, prepared at least 521 sheets of paper with various inscriptions, including calls for attacks on the life of a state official. The defendant planned to scatter the leaflets at the 'scene of the crime to attract the attention of a wide range of people to what he had done'. On December 12, 2023, the 2nd Western Military District Court found Tigran Khachikyan mentally unhealthy and sent the man for compulsory treatment. The verdict was not appealed and entered into legal force.