Defense Team Presents 7 Facts on Gagik Khachatryan’s Case

The defense team of former Armenian Finance Minister and former Chairman of the State Revenue Committee, Gagik Khachatryan, has presented 7 facts regarding the ongoing legal proceedings against him. Below is the statement:

“Gagik Khachatryan has been in custody for a month now. He is accused of alleged abuse of power and misappropriation of property during his term in public office from 2008 to 2014. Khachatryan denies the charges against him. His defense team, led by Yerem Sargsyan, has highlighted seven key facts regarding the criminal case.

1. There is no evidence that Gagik Khachatryan committed the alleged crime.
   There has not been a single piece of evidence presented to the court that supports the allegations that Khachatryan committed the crime outlined under part 1 of Article 179 of the Criminal Code of Armenia. This lack of evidence is a mandatory condition for the detention of a person, and the absence of relevant materials should have been a direct reason for rejecting the detention request.
2. The court has failed to justify the detention of Gagik Khachatryan.
   The court did not provide any rationale for why, if released, Khachatryan might evade justice, commit new crimes, or obstruct the investigation. The Cassation Court of Armenia and the European Court of Human Rights emphasize that detention is the most severe measure during a criminal trial and should only be used when other measures cannot ensure the proper behavior of the individual.
3. All motions regarding Gagik Khachatryan were assigned to the same judge for surprising reasons.
   The defense team harbors suspicions about why the detention motion was assigned to a judge who also approved searches of Khachatryan's residences without justification.
4. Gagik Khachatryan returned to Armenia from Germany at the first call from the investigator.
   There is evidence that while in Germany, Khachatryan interrupted his post-operative recovery to return to Armenia and present himself to investigators, showing no intention to evade justice.
5. Khachatryan prohibited his lawyers from exploiting his serious illness in court.
   Although Khachatryan suffers from severe health issues that cannot be treated in Armenia according to medical experts, he has instructed his lawyers not to discuss this in detail.
6. Khachatryan's position on the ongoing investigation.
   Gagik Khachatryan has returned to Armenia with the hope of an objective investigation, expressing his willingness to take responsibility if proven guilty.
7. The demand for transparency in the proceedings.
   All hearings regarding Gagik Khachatryan have been conducted behind closed doors. His lawyer pointed out that if these hearings were public, it would be evident how the decision to imprison Khachatryan was made, marked by egregious legal violations.