The Traces Lead to the NSS: Who Provided Information About the Minister's Conviction?

A criminal case is being investigated by the Special Investigative Service of Armenia regarding the illegal collection, dissemination of personal life secrets, and abuse of official authority. Based on sufficient evidence obtained during the pre-trial investigation, the head of the relevant division of the National Security Service (NSS) has been charged with committing a criminal act under part 1 of Article 308 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia for abuse of official power.

According to the indictment, on January 9, 2020, without official necessity, legal purposes, or other lawful grounds, he requested an employee of the NSS to check the information regarding the conviction of Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures Suren Papikyan in the informational database. The NSS employee, upon the demand of the division head, obtained and forwarded information about Suren Papikyan's conviction from the operational database of the Information Center of the Police of the Republic of Armenia. This information contained details considered to be personal life secrets, which were not publicly accessible, regarding the conviction, the sentence imposed by the court, and other circumstances.

Thus, the aforementioned NSS official deliberately used his official position for personal interest contrary to the interests of service, causing significant harm to Suren Papikyan’s rights and legal interests. The indictment has resulted in the imposition of a travel ban as a preventive measure. The investigator has also decided to temporarily suspend the official from his duties. The investigation is ongoing.

Note: The suspected or accused individual is considered innocent until proven guilty in accordance with the procedures established by the Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Armenia by a legally binding court verdict.