On February 20, 2025, the work of the Prosecutor’s Office of Lori region during 2024 was summarized under the leadership of Anna Vardapetyan, Prosecutor General of the Republic of Armenia.

Yeghiazar Avagyan, Deputy Prosecutor General of the RA, Armen Shahbazyan, Prosecutor of Lori region, Aram Ghazaryan, Head of Lori region, Mher Aprikyan, Secretary General of the Prosecutor’s Office, Heads of regional offices of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, National Security Service and Investigation Committee, prosecutors of the Prosecutor’s Office of the region also participated in the meeting.

Armen Shahbazyan presented the report on the work of the Prosecutor’s Office of Lori region during 2024, referring to the criminal proceedings initiated in the region and submitted to the court during 2024.  In this context the Prosecutor of the region informed that 3947 criminal proceedings were initiated in the region during 2024 (3566 criminal proceedings during 2023), 561 criminal proceedings were submitted to the court with signed indictments of the prosecutors (533 criminal proceedings during 2023). According to Armen Shahbazyan, 454 criminal cases regarding 490 individuals were examined and completed in the courts during 2024 (532 criminal cases regarding 560 individuals during 2023).

Damage in the amount of AMD 131 million 671 thousand was caused to the state and community during 2024, wherefrom AMD 40 million 38 thousand was recovered (AMD 120 million 874 thousand during 2023, wherefrom AMD 5 million 311 thousand was recovered).

The Prosecutor of the region, referring to the work carried out by the Prosecutor’s Office of Lori region in the scope of the powers of state and community interests’ protection, informed that 92 examinations were initiated during 2024 (12 examinations during 2023). They referred to the alienation process of cinemas in the Vanadzor city, alienation process of land plots not subject to alienation to the legal persons or citizens pursuant to Article 60 of the Land Code, the legality of alienation processes of land plots designated for site development, land plots not subject to transfer under the private ownership right and adjacent to the river bank.

“According to Armen Shahbazyan, 2 reports on the initiation of criminal proceedings were submitted as a result of examinations, examination of alienation of two land plots (pavement and territory of the park) reached to the final stage and the prosecutors are preparing relevant reports. “As a result of examination of alienation processes of cinemas, alleged violence were found out in the alienation process of “Gugark” cinema.  For the completion of the examination, necessary documents were required from the National archive, and necessary measures of prosecutorial interventions shall be applied after the receipt and examination thereof”,  mentioned the Prosecutor of Lori region and highlighted that 11 claims were submitted to the court by the prosecutors of the region on the protection of state (community) interests during 2024 and the total cost of the claim amounted to AMD 15 million 900 thousand. The examination of 76 claims is pending and AMD 427 million 233 thousand shall be subject to confiscation. 

Anna Vardapetyan, Prosecutor General of the Republic, among other assignments, also required to activate the work in the field of protection of state and community interests,  as well as make the work related to the disclosure and examination of crimes in mining sector stricter in cooperation with the regional law enforcement authorities.