In 2025, Anna Vardapetyan, the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Armenia, announced that the Prosecutor’s Office had launched efforts to return to the state properties that had been alienated or leased in violation of the law in the coastal areas of Lake Sevan.

Based on an examination carried out within the scope of the authority to initiate claims for the protection of state interests by the Prosecutor’s Office of Gegharkunik Region, motions were filed with the Sevan Municipality and the SNCO “Sevan National Park”, with the aim of dismantling illegally constructed buildings and structures located on 34 land parcels in the coastal zone of Lake Sevan below the absolute elevation mark and restoring the land plots to their original condition. On the basis of these motions, administrative proceedings were initiated, and 23 demolition decisions were issued.

As a result of the implementation of the motions of the Prosecutor’s Office, as of now, more than 20 primary and auxiliary buildings and structures illegally constructed by various individuals have been dismantled (demolished) on 11 land plots located in the coastal zone of Lake Sevan below the absolute elevation mark. In addition, two contracts have been terminated by the SNCO “Sevan National Park”. The works will continue in 2026.

In addition to the above-mentioned motion, during 2025 Ministry of Environmental Protection and the SNCO “Sevan National Park” received eight more motions from the Department for the Protection of State Interests of the Prosecutor General’s Office and the Prosecutor’s Office of Gegharkunik Region.

The above-mentioned motions, as well as the claims filed by the Prosecutor’s Office with the court, inter alia, concern:

• the administrative complex of the “Harsnaqar” Hotel (50 Yerevanyan Highway, Sevan),
• the cottages of the “Harsnaqar” Hotel (48/6 Yerevanyan Highway, Sevan),
• the Sevan residence illegally constructed by Ruben Hayrapetyan, the former President of the Football Federation of Armenia and former Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, (38, 3rd Street, Recreation Zone, Sevan),
• the Sevan residence illegally constructed by Vladimir Gasparyan, former Chief of Police (97, 1st Street, Drakhtik community, Gegharkunik Region),
• the Sevan residence illegally constructed by Seyran Ohanyan, former Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia, (71, 1st Street, Drakhtik community, Gegharkunik Region),
• the Sevan residence illegally constructed by Arman Hakobjanyan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of “Kapavor” LLC (88, 1st Street, Drakhtik community, Gegharkunik Region).

As a result of the examinations conducted by the Department for the Protection of State Interests of the Prosecutor General’s Office and the Prosecutor’s Office of Gegharkunik Region within the scope of their authority to initiate claims for the protection of state interests, reports on alleged crimes were submitted to the bodies of preliminary investigation, as well as criminal proceedings were initiated.