One of the issues included in today's government session agenda is the attachment of a 1.5-hectare land plot located on the right side of the Sevan-Gavar road to the Ministry of Environment.

RA Prosecutor General Anna Vardapetyan, presenting the background to the return of the above-mentioned property to the state, noted: "First Instance Court of Gegharkunik Region, by its decision of July 2, 2025, granted the claim of the Department for the Protection of State Interests of the Prosecutor General's Office, as a result of which the 1.5 hectare land plot located on the right side of the Sevan-Gavar road in the northeastern part of the Tsovazard village of Gegharkunik Region was returned to the "Sevan" National Park” SNCO. At the same time, the state registration of the rights arising from the contract was declared invalid.

The trial revealed that according to the certificate of registration of the right to ownership (use) of real estate issued on March 18, 2009, in addition to the 1.5 ha land plot of environmental significance located at 12 km No. 3 of the Sevan-Gavar highway in the Gegharkunik Region, the right to construction of the “Karen” production cooperative is also registered in the unified state register of rights.

The court stated that by the agreement signed on December 30, 2008 between the Republic of Armenia, represented by the Director of the “Sevan” National Park” SNCO, and the President of the “Karen” Production Cooperative and certified by a notary on March 11, 2009, the “Karen” Production Cooperative was provided with a developed land plot with the right to develop.

On July 2, 2025, the judgment entered into legal force.

On August 29, 2025, the ownership right of the Republic of Armenia was registered for a land plot with an area of ​​1.5 hectares and a cadastral value of AMD 13 million 404 thousand, as well as a building with an area of ​​162 square meters, located in the Gegharkunik Region, Gavar community, Tsovazard village.

The Prosecutor General of the Republic of Armenia also touched upon the work carried out by the Prosecutor's Office to return to the state the properties illegally alienated or leased in the coastal part of Lake Sevan.

Anna Vardapetyan, in particular, noted:

"During 2025, 4 petitions were addressed to the Ministry of Environment and the "Sevan National Park" SNCO by the Department of State Interests Protection of the Prosecutor General's Office and the Prosecutor's Office of Gegharkunik Region.

In addition to the petitions, as a result of the investigation, reports on the crime were sent to preliminary investigation bodies, and criminal proceedings were initiated.

In particular:

1. As a result of the investigation conducted by the Department for the Protection of State Interests of the Prosecutor General's Office, it was found that in 2007, an agreement was signed between the "Sevan National Park" SNCO and a legal entity for the provision of a state-owned land plot with the right to develop it, by which the land plot with an area of ​​40 thousand 900 square meters, located 5 km west of the village of Drakhtik, was provided to the legal entity with the right to develop it.

In 2008, a contract for the sale of the right to develop 0.74 hectares of the aforementioned land plot was signed between the legal entity and an individual, on the basis of which state registration of the right was carried out.

In 2010, an architectural and planning assignment was issued by the Governor of Gegharkunik Region for the development of the aforementioned 0.74 hectares of land plot.

The study revealed that at the time the Gegharkunik regional governor issued the architectural and planning assignment in 2010, a 382.5 square meter building had already been built on the specified land plot. In addition, the cadastral file in 2011 lacked data on the construction permit and construction completion certificate, which were the basis for the registration of the buildings.

In 2025, the Department of State Interests Protection of the Prosecutor General's Office submitted a petition to the Ministry of Environment to undertake measures to terminate the aforementioned contract. The Ministry of Environment provided the Prosecutor's Office with information that a proposal for the termination of the contract had been sent to the aforementioned company. If it is not accepted, the contract will be terminated in court.

2. As a result of the investigation conducted by the Prosecutor's Office of Gegharkunik Region within the framework of the authority to protect state interests, it was found that a property lease agreement with an area of ​​1 ha and an approximate market value of AMD 68 million 343 thousand was signed between the "Sevan National Park" SNCO and an individual in 2021.

As a result of the investigation, it was also found out that the competition was organized in 2004, but the contract with the winner was signed and received state registration in 2021.

Based on the detected violation, on the proposal of the Prosecutor of Gegharkunik Region, the lease right certificate was declared invalid on December 4, 2025.

The Prosecutor of Gegharkunik Region sent a letter to the “Sevan National Park” SNCO with the aim of dismantling (demolishing) the illegal structures on the above-mentioned land plot.

3. As a result of the investigation conducted by the Prosecutor’s Office of the Gegharkunik region within the framework of the authority to protect state interests, it was found out that an agreement was signed between the “Sevan National Park” SNCO and an individual on December 5, 2006, which concerns the provision of the right to develop a 600-square-meter plot of land located on the Sevan peninsula.

The investigation revealed violations.

The Prosecutor's Office of Gegharkunik Region sent a letter to the “Sevan National Park” SNCO, proposing to terminate the contract. At the same time, as a result of the investigation, a report on the crime was sent to the Sevan Investigation Department of the Gegharkunik Regional Investigation Department. Criminal proceedings were initiated under Article 446 of the Criminal Code.

4. The Department of State Interests Protection of the Prosecutor General's Office sent a petition to the Director of “Sevan National Park” SNCO to terminate the lease agreement for a 2.8-hectare land plot signed between the SNCO and a legal entity on December 2, 2002, to alienate the property attached to the land plot to Sevan National Park, and to take measures to vacate the land plot by the tenant.

As a result of the investigation, it was found that there was no basis for concluding the lease agreement. In particular, the data on the tender protocol were not indicated in the contract and the protocol is not available, which means that the tender was not held. From January 2021 up to date the SNCO sent the notification, September 10, 2025, the SNCO did not receive the rent formed as a result of the change in the cadastral value, which amounts to about AMD 34 million 600 thousand. Officials of the “Sevan National Park” SNCO did not undertake measures to terminate the lease agreement concluded with the legal entity after the expiration of the specified period and to vacate the land plot by the tenant.

The Department of State Interests Protection of the Prosecutor General's Office has filed a petition with the Ministry of Environment to undertake measures to terminate the lease agreement, as well as to alienate the attached property to the lessor, informing the lessee three months in advance, and in the event of the existence of the grounds specified in Paragraph 5.5 of the Agreement, for leaving or eliminating the property attached to the land plot at the request of the SNCO.

In response to the petition, the Prosecutor General's Office received information that the SNCO had sent a notification to the LLC to terminate the lease agreement.

A claim was filed with the Administrative Court demanding to return of real estate at 38, 3rd Street, Sevan, Recreation Zone, belonging to individuals affiliated with the same legal entity to the Republic of Armenia.

It was found out that buildings, including a private house, were illegally constructed at the above-mentioned address in the territory of the “Sevan” National Park, and a plot of land with a total area of ​​9088 square meters, approximately three times the size of the allocated land, was illegally owned and used.

In addition, based on the study conducted in the framework of the authority to initiate a lawsuit to protect state interests at the Prosecutor’s Office of Gegharkunik Region, a petition was addressed to the Sevan community and the “Sevan National Park” SNCO to dismantle the illegally constructed buildings and structures on 34 land plots on the shores of Lake Sevan below the absolute mark and to restore the land to its previous appearance.

As a result of the petition, the buildings and structures on 3 land plots have been completely dismantled, administrative proceedings have been initiated regarding the remaining land plots, and 23 demolition decisions have been made.