During a court hearing at the Anti-Corruption Court regarding the case of 'Strong Armenia' party chairman Samvel Karapetyan, the public prosecutor filed a new property claim. The request involves the seizure of over 6.814 billion AMD, which is sought from both Karapetyan and two other defendants in the case, Andranik Khachatryan and Vladimir Tarjumanyan.
Karapetyan's defense attorneys opposed the admission of the claim, arguing that it lacks legal grounds and does not comply with statutory requirements. Defense lawyer Armen Feroyan stated that, according to official documents from tax authorities, Karapetyan's tax liabilities are zero; therefore, he deemed the property claim baseless and performative. The defense also raised the issue of the inadmissibility of evidence, asserting that it was obtained through unlawful actions by operational-investigative bodies.
Presiding Judge Vahe Dolmazyan clarified that the merits of the claim are not being discussed at this stage, as that is reserved for the evidence examination phase. The court ruled that the claim meets legislative requirements, accepted it for proceedings, and officially recognized the individuals involved in the case as property defendants.
This process clearly reflects the complex conflicts unfolding within Armenia's judicial system, where the arguments underlying the prosecution clash with the tax and documentary counter-arguments of the defense. The 6.8 billion AMD is a significant amount, and the legal battle surrounding it will have a serious impact on the final outcome of the case.
The focus is now on the validity of the claim, which the court will evaluate during the evidence examination phase. It remains unknown what legal consequences the issue of 'illegally obtained evidence'—as pointed out by the defense—will have, as it could fundamentally alter the course of the trial.
