Naira Zohrabyan and Edmond Marukyan Provide Explanations to the Special Investigation Service

Former Deputy Rector of Shiraz State University Anahit Fardman’s personal guarantee was provided by MPs Naira Zohrabyan and Edmond Marukyan at the Special Investigation Service (SIS). In response to a question from 'Armenian Time', MP Naira Zohrabyan confirmed this news. She declined to answer other questions from the media, asking to refer to the Special Investigation Service.

Edmond Marukyan also spoke with the media, stating that he was invited to the SIS to provide explanations. When asked until when they had been in contact with Anahit Fardman, Marukyan replied, 'We have not been in contact; we were aware that she was participating in all investigative actions until the SIS informed us in writing that she was avoiding the investigation.'

To the question of whether they had personally taken measures to establish contact with Fardman after that, Marukyan answered positively: 'Yes, we met with her brother and said that if she did not appear, she would be arrested. He replied that he had no information and, besides that, he believed that both he and his sister, and their family were subjected to political persecution.'

Asked if this could set a bad precedent for MPs providing guarantees, Marukyan said, 'You know, I have always hesitated to give guarantees, and this is a precedent after which I will give guarantees to no one anymore. Because the MP has no influence to allow or not allow that person to appear; the investigative body must take their passport, shut it down. This means that when the MP says that he guarantees they will appear, he guarantees that they will not be arrested, but does not guarantee that they will be allowed to leave the country. That person has left the country, and we are told, 'Well, they left.' Well, they shouldn’t have let them go. This means there is a legislative issue here.'

Recall that Anahit Fardman has been involved as a defendant under Article 178, Part 3, Point 1 of the Criminal Code of Armenia for committing large-scale theft. According to the SIS report, during the preliminary investigation, she avoided appearing before the conducting authority and also did not report valid reasons for her absence. The MPs Edmond Marukyan and Naira Zohrabyan, who undertook her personal guarantee, have stated that they have no information regarding Anahit Fardman’s whereabouts and cannot ensure her appearance before the Special Investigation Service. Considering the above circumstances, a search for Anahit Fardman was announced on October 31. On the same day, the personal guarantee measure taken for her was revoked, and on November 1, a motion was submitted by the SIS investigator to the court to choose pre-trial detention as a measure against A. Fardman, which was granted on November 2.