Your trusted source

Complex expert examination has been carried out within the framework of the criminal proceedings on the blast of gas-filled balloons in Republic Square on May 4. The expert conclusion has been submitted to the police. Panorama.am talked to head of the Department of Investigation of Especially Important Cases of General Investigation Department of RA Police Arsen Ayvazyan. The expert conclusion shed light on the balloon blast case, the official told Panorama.am.

- Mister Ayvazyan, what developments are there with regard to the case?

- We have received the expert conclusion and we can say unequivocally that the balloons were filled with compressed methane gas.

- Do you know the names of people who filled the balloons?

- Yes, we know exactly who did that, when and where. We will provide more details later, when we have completed urgent investigative operations following the expert conclusion.

- Some reports say that the balloons were filled with gas at an apartment. Is it true?

- Yes, a certain person filled the balloons with gas at his apartment in Yerevan.

- How many balloons were filled with gas, how much did it cost, how long has that person been in that business?

- In total, nearly 7000 balloons were filled with gas. The gas filling process started in the morning and ended at about 5:00 pm. Then the balloons were transported to Republic Square. I cannot provide more information. We will certainly release further information later.

- In an interview, you stated that there is no explicit legal prohibition of using methane to fill balloons. Does it mean that those who filled the balloons will not be held liable?

- We will talk about criminal liability later. I will just mention that there are no normative legal acts regulating this field.

- Has anyone been arrested in connection with the case?

- No, no one has been arrested.

- How many people have been interrogated according to latest data?

- According to rough figures, more than 250 people have been interrogated. Interrogations continue. We also carry out additional interrogations.