On February 16, 2024 Anna Vardapetyan, Prosecutor General of the Republic of Armenia paid a working visit to the Prosecutor’s Office of Gegharkunik region for the purpose of summarizing the works implemented during 2023.

Karen Sargsyan, governor of Gegharkunik region, Heads of the National Security Service, Investigative committee, regional departments of Police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, prosecutors of the Prosecutor’s Office of the region, etc participated in the discussion.

Before addressing the issues included in the agenda Anna Vardapetyan discussed the necessity of activating criminal legal toolkit for preventing illegal angling of coregonus and trout during their breeding season with the Governor of the region, Prosecutor of the region and partners from law enforcement agencies.  In the context of the discussed mechanisms, they addressed the importance of supporting establishment of Water Patrol Service in Lake Sevan.

Gagik Ayvazyan, the Prosecutor of the Prosecutor’s Office of Gegharkunik region presented the crime statistics recorded in the region during 2023, informing that, compared to 2022, the number of crimes increased by 320 amounting to 1659.

An increase was mainly recorded in the number of cases related to the attempted murder, crimes against sexual inviolability, violation of road traffic rules, illegal drug trafficking as well as use of violence against the government representative.

The number of the following crime cases decreased: murder (without the cases of sudden death), intentional cause of grave harm to the health with the use of firearm, violation of the road traffic rules resulting in death, crimes against property, making and illegal circulation of firearm and ammunition, crimes against economic activity.

From 1659 crime cases recorded during 2023, 619 cases or 37.3% were disclosed.

During 2023 the supervising prosecutors, upon their initiatives, rendered 72 decisions on initiating public criminal prosecutions (5 decisions during 2022). 

Gagik Ayvazyan informed that 420 criminal cases on 470 individuals were submitted to the court during 2023 (140 criminal cases on 150 individuals during 2022).

7 examinations in the field of state interests protection were carried out in the Prosecutor’s Office of Gegharkunik region during 2023. One of the claims by which the Prosecutor’s Office of the region demands the return of AMD 327,5 million to the state is pending before the Court of Appeal.

Summerizing the discussion Anna Vardapetyan, the RA Prosecutor General gave an assignment to the prosecutor to keep the field of state (community) interests protection in the center of their attention, to continue the examination of illegal constructions adjacent to Lake Sevan and the criminal proceedings with the participation of individuals in vulnerable situations, in particular minors as well as to raise the quality of examination of corruption crimes.