An extended session of the collegium chaired by the RA Prosecutor General Anna Vardapetyan was held on March 18, 2024.

During the session the activity of the Prosecutor’s Office during 2023 was summarized.

Artur Poghosyan, Deputy Prosecutor General represented the work implemented by the following departments of the Prosecutor General’s Office—the Department for Combatting Economic Crimes, the Department of Crimes against State Power and the Department of Crimes against Public Health.

In this context Artur Poghosyan informed that during 2023 the number of the criminal proceedings regarding economic crimes dramatically increased (amounted to 3946, it increased by 2291 or 138.4% compared to 2022). The number of completed criminal proceedings also increased amounting to 564 (it increased by 281 or 99.2% compared to 2022).

During 2023, AMD 32 billion 303 million 526 thousand was recovered under the criminal proceedings (included completed ones) pending under the supervision of the Department for Combatting Economic Crimes of the Prosecutor General’s Office (AMD 23 billion 185 million 788 thousand during 2022).

The Prosecutors of the Department of Crimes against State Power exercised supervision over 884 criminal proceedings (430 during 2022) wherefrom 127 were corruption crimes (217 during 2022).  217 criminal proceedings from the abovementioned 884 were completed, wherefrom 30 criminal proceedings regarding 89 individuals were submitted to the competent authority with a signed indictment (17 criminal proceedings regarding 45 individuals during 2022).

5206 cases of crimes against the public health was recorded during 2023 compared to 2345 cases recorded during 2022 (the number of cases increased by 2861 or 122,0%).

During 2023, the number of illegal drug circulation in the territory of the Republic of Armenia amounted to 4564, the number of cases increased by 2847 or 165,8% compared to 2022 (the number of cases of drug circulation for sale amounted to 2802 and it increased by 1771 or 171,8% compared to 2022).

During 2023 as a result of measures undertaken by the law enforcement authorities of the Republic of Armenia different types of drugs in the amount of 202 kg 30,038g were confiscated from illegal circulation compared to 119 kg 832,29g during 2022. Circulation in the amount of 5 billion 592 million 541 thousand was recorded under 8 criminal proceedings. 6 criminal proceedings from the abovementioned 8 proceedings regarding 15 individuals, in the scope of which the currency circulation amounted to 3 billion 565 million 919 thousand were submitted to the court with the signed indictment.

Lilit Grigoryan, Deputy Prosecutor General, in the first part of her speech referred to the work of the Prosecutor’s Office in the field of protection of state and community interests and mentioned that 383 investigations have been carried out and 447 offences were revealed.

During the reporting period the damage caused to the state under the cases regarding the protection of state interests amounted to AMD 42 billion 842 million 872 thousand (AMD 39 billion 945 million 824 thousand during 2022).

As a result of investigation, the subdivisions of the Prosecutor’s Office submitted 110 reports on the crime during 2023 under which criminal proceedings were initiated regarding the abuse of powers by officials, official negligence, fraud, appropriation of entrusted property and other crimes.

During the same period 342 claims were submitted to the court, wherefrom 59 claims under civil proceedings, 61 claims under criminal proceedings and 222 claims under administrative proceedings.

Referring to the power of initiating state (community) protection claim by the Prosecutor’s Office, the Deputy Prosecutor General highlighted the claims regarding four kindergartens (132, 147, 159 and 199) in Kanaker-Zeytun administrative district as well as N 304 nursery and kindergarten in Malatia-Sebastia administrative district. Criminal proceedings were initiated also regarding alienation of 14 kindergartens in the city of Yerevan. Pursuant to Lilit Grigoryan, investigations are also carried out in the regions.

The Deputy Prosecutor General submitted data regarding the crimes against human as well. The number of the cases increased by 8.7%, from 7138 cases 36.6% were recorded in the city of Yerevan and 4525 cases or 63.3% in the regions, the number of the murder cases decreased by 3.

During 2023 essential decrease–17.9% was recorded in the number of cases of crimes against property. The cases of robbery, burglary, appropriation of entrusted property also decreased.

Yeghiazar Avagyan, Deputy Prosecutor General, presented the Prosecutor's Office’s work in the fields of international-legal cooperation, legal assistance and the supervision over legality of penalties and other means of compulsion. 

According to Yeghiazar Avagyan’s assessment the quality of requests for mutual assistance in criminal matters submitted to the competent authorities of foreign countries improved, the number of rejected extradition requests decreased.

In the context of legal assistance several draft normative-legal acts related to criminal proceedings and activity of the Prosecutor's Office were developed during 2023, 10 legislative initiatives were submitted to the competent authorities.

29 disciplinary proceedings against 41 prosecutors were initiated during 2023 as a result whereof:

• The case of 8 prosecutors charged with the dereliction of duty was discussed during the operative consultation; 

• The Prosecutor General decided to appoint additional attestation for 9 prosecutors;

• “Reprimand” type of penalty was applied against 10 prosecutors;  
• “Severe Reprimand” type of penalty was applied against 5 prosecutors; 

• “Demoting the class rank by one degree” type of penalty was applied against 1 prosecutor;

• “Removal from office” type of penalty was applied against 2 prosecutors;
• 5 prosecutors were removed from the office pursuant to their application in the scope of the disciplinary proceedings against them.

Srbuhi Galyan, Deputy Prosecutor General represented the work carried out in the field of confiscation of property of illicit origin and mentioned that 102 claims regarding the confiscation of property of illicit origin are pending in the proceedings of the Anti-Corruption Court, wherefrom 68 claims were submitted to the court during 2023. The total cost of abovementioned 68 statements of claim amounted to AMD 416 billion. 

Under the claims submitted to the court during the reporting year, confiscation of 810 immovable properties, 155 movable properties, 230 shares in the legal person and AMD 383 billion 522 million was required in favor of the Republic of Armenia.

For comparison we should mention, that during 2022 the Department of Confiscation of Property of Illicit Origin submitted 21 statements of claims with AMD 100 billion cost of the claim to the court.

During 2023, in the scope of the function of confiscation of property of illicit origin, the Prosecutor General’s Office concluded 4 reconciliation agreements, pursuant whereof 6 immovable properties and 1 movable property with the total market value of AMD 2 billion 200 million as well as AMD 79 million was transferred to the state.

Grigor Elizbaryan, Deputy Prosecutor General represented the cases recorded in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia during 2023.

According to the Military Prosecutor, 2358 cases were recorded in the military units of the Armed forces and other troops during the previous year (4570 cases during 2022). The number of the cases decreased by 2212 or 48.4%. 803 cases or 33.5% were accidents (2874 cases during 2022), 1555 or 66% were cases of alleged crime (1696 cases during 2022), among them 847 or 53.3% military crimes (1028 cases or 2022), 708 or 45.5% other crime cases (668 cases during 2022).

According to the Military Prosecutor the damage in the amount of AMD 2 billion 482 million 453 thousand caused to the state was recovered. The abovementioned damage in the amount of AMD 2 billion 482 million 453 thousand was recovered in the extrajudicial procedure, as a result of the application of prosecutorial intervention.

After the report of the Deputies of the Prosecutor General, Lusine Martirosyan, Adviser to Prosecutor General and Tatevik Sarukhanyan, Deputy of the Secretary General represented the results of the survey conducted during 2023.

Pursuant to the results, about 94% of the prosecutors participating the survey are completely satisfied with the management skills and professionalism of their superiors, the prosecutors think that the Prosecutor's Office is an attractive employer, the policy of human resources management in the Prosecutor's Office system is widely perceived as a policy guided by the principles of meritocracy, professionalism and impartiality, a healthy working atmosphere is created. Overloaded working schedule was cited as a major problem.

After the representation of the results of the survey the swearing-in ceremony of 43 prosecutors assuming their positions and duties took place.

In conclusion Anna Vardapetyan, Prosecutor General thanked all prosecutors and employees of the Prosecutor’s Office for their compassionate and devoted work.

The Prosecutor General particularly mentioned,

“My workload this year make it impossible for me to participate in all the summaries of regions and administrative districts, however I am informed about the performed work from your reports as well as from reports of my deputies during the year and from the weekly reports of the heads of supervising subdivisions.  

I know that your work is heavy, stressful, working hours are long and the time for rest is short. I'm not just informed, I work like that myself.  

Wise people learn from the past and never look to the future in despair. If we work hard today, the trust in justice will be restored in the future, and I am sure that most of the citizens of the Republic of Armenia will trust the justice.  The latest social surveys, the number of applicants and high level of competition as well as the reputation of the Prosecutor’s Office are the evidence of the abovementioned.

I would like to welcome the prosecutors sworn to justice and the rule of law. I am sure that you will wear the shoulder boards of the prosecutor with honor and will protect the state interest.

Self-sacrifice is for enthusiasts. Only enthusiasts are working and will work in the Prosecutor’s Office.

Once again I would like to congratulate you and also to thank you. I would also like to reaffirm that this year will not be an easy one as well, but it will be very interesting”.