The prosecutor has returned the indictment regarding the former head of the police, who is a defendant in the March 1 case, to the pre-trial body for the completion of the accusatory conclusion.

14-07-2026 11:26 Armenia Human Rights

In the framework of the criminal proceedings initiated regarding the events that took place in Yerevan on March 1-2, 2008, the prosecutor, on his own initiative, on April 18, 2026, has initiated public criminal prosecution against the former head of the RA Police H.H. under the second part of Article 309 of the Criminal Code adopted on April 18, 2003 (assisting an official in the abuse of official powers, accompanied by the use of violence, weapons, or special means) and the second part of Article 315 (official negligence that has negligently caused death or other serious consequences). This was reported by the Prosecutor's Office.

The criminal proceedings have established that H.H., holding the position of head of the police under the Government of the Republic of Armenia from 2003 until May 29, 2008, while exercising the overall management of the RA Police, on March 1, 2008, abused his official powers and, in collusion with other high-ranking officials of the RA Police, organized the dispersal of a peaceful protest held in Yerevan's "Liberty" Square, which was accompanied by the use of violence and special means by various police units, forcibly removing protesters from the square through violence, and subsequently preventing possible protests and gatherings in the central parts of the city, actions that caused significant harm to the rights and legal interests of individuals, as well as to the legal interests of society and the state.

The other charge against H.H., who held the position of police chief, is based on the fact that H.H., as the head of the state management body of the police, was obliged to present drafts and proposals of normative legal acts related to the activities and organization of the police to the Government of the Republic of Armenia for discussion in the established manner, including the procedure for the use of "Cheriomukha 7" tear gas and "Zarya" sound and light special means, but failed to fulfill this obligation.

Taking into account that H.H. passed away in 2019, the decision to initiate public criminal prosecution against him has been handed over to his legal representative, his wife.

H.H.'s wife has objected to the public criminal prosecution against H.H. being terminated on the grounds of the defendant's death.

The materials of criminal case number 62292726, separated from criminal case number 62202608 by the supervising prosecutor, have been returned to the prosecuting authority, the Anti-Corruption Committee, to take measures towards completing the preliminary investigation with an accusatory conclusion.

Notice: a person accused of a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty in accordance with the procedure established by the Criminal Procedure Code by a legally binding court decision.

* This text was automatically translated by Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Noyan Tapan | Human Rights