The Yerevan First Instance Court of General Jurisdiction has found Aram Navasardyan, the driver involved in the 2022 fatal crash that killed a pregnant woman, 28-year-old Sona Mnatsakanyan, guilty of multiple charges related to the incident. The verdict was delivered Wednesday by presiding Judge Karen Farkhoyan.
Navasardyan, who served as the commander of the traffic police escort unit, was found guilty under Armenia’s 2003 Criminal Code—specifically Article 242 (traffic violation resulting in death) and Article 244 (fleeing the scene of an accident). According to lawyer Raffi Aslanyan, sentencing will be applied under Article 242 only, which carries a maximum prison term of five years under the applicable law.
The court upheld a ban preventing Navasardyan from leaving the country, with sentencing to be announced at a later date.
The tragic incident occurred on April 26, 2022, at the intersection of Paronyan and Leo Streets in central Yerevan. Navasardyan, driving a Toyota Prado, struck Mnatsakanyan, who was pregnant at the time, as she was crossing the street. Crucially, the police vehicle did not stop following the collision.
Mnatsakanyan later died from her injuries in the hospital.
The Prime Minister’s motorcade, including Nikol Pashinyan’s limousine and six accompanying vehicles, continued past the scene without stopping to assist. Mnatsakanyan was later rushed to Nairi Medical Center, where she died without regaining consciousness.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Aslanyan, representing Mnatsakanyan’s legal heirs, said that the victim’s family raised no objections to the verdict, as the court fully acknowledged Navasardyan’s culpability.
The case sparked widespread public outrage at the time, fueling criticism of official motorcade protocols and raising concerns about accountability and justice involving high-ranking state convoys.
Speaking at a press conference on July 16, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that he bears no responsibility for the incident involving Mnatsakanyan’s hit-and-run, as he was merely a “bus passenger” like an ordinary citizen in the convoy accompanying him.
