Charges Filed Against 10 Individuals in the Fight Against Criminal Subculture

Since the enactment of the law on amendments and additions to the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia on February 22, 2020, which criminalizes acts related to criminal subculture, the Prosecutor General’s Office of Armenia has been conducting extensive activities aimed at ensuring effective legal measures against acts posing a high public danger.

Immediately after the legislative changes came into force, the Prosecutor General convened a consultation with the participation of the Minister of Justice, the Director of the National Security Service, the Chief of Police, the Head of the Investigative Committee, the Head of the Penitentiary Service, and representatives of other law enforcement bodies. As a result of the detailed discussions, priorities were set for preventing and revealing organized crime’s most dangerous manifestations, ensuring the quality of investigations into such cases, and implementing measures to hold perpetrators accountable. Also addressed were operational and investigative cooperation methods among investigative bodies during various phases of criminal proceedings, alongside effective protective measures concerning the participants in the process.

According to the Prosecutor General's Office, with the aim of enhancing prosecutorial oversight and the effectiveness of the prosecution in court regarding crimes related to criminal subculture, two prosecutors from the Prosecutor General’s Office specializing in these issues were appointed. Considering that no legal practice has yet been established in Armenia concerning these types of offenses, a task has been set to study the experiences of post-Soviet countries, particularly the Republic of Georgia, which was the first among these countries to criminalize acts related to criminal subculture.

To achieve this goal, an effective collaboration framework with Georgia has been organized, including a visit led by the Deputy Prosecutor General of Armenia with specialized prosecutors and staff from other law enforcement agencies. During discussions with Georgian colleagues in light of the European Court of Human Rights's legal positions concerning cases related to Georgia, detailed studies have been conducted on the investigations carried out for such offenses, the oversight of the prosecution, and practical issues related to the prosecution's strategy.

Additionally, with the aim of ensuring the uniformity of legal practice concerning acts related to criminal subculture and enhancing public awareness, the Prosecutor General’s Office has prepared a scientific-practical commentary titled “Legal Characteristics of Acts Related to Criminal Subculture,” which has been endorsed for publication by the Scientific Council of the Justice Academy and distributed to all relevant agencies. These guiding commentaries have also been published on the official website of the Justice Academy, which can be accessed at this link. An individual course on this topic is also planned within the educational program of the Justice Academy.

Building on these preparatory works, extensive coordinated actions have been initiated by the investigative bodies and the prosecutor’s office against acts related to criminal subculture, as well as to prevent and neutralize any potential resistance attempts by individuals or groups associated with this subculture. As a result, it has been revealed that individuals with the highest criminal rank are leading gangs associated with criminal subculture, participating in such organizations, and being involved in the execution of their pursued goals through criminal schemes.

Based on relevant articles of the Criminal Code of Armenia, five criminal cases have been initiated, of which three have been consolidated into one proceeding. All criminal cases are currently being investigated by the Main Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of Armenia. In one of these cases, a charge has been filed against an individual classified as a “thief in law,” who is accused of leading a gang associated with a criminal subculture, as well as charges against a person classified as a “criminal authority” for participating in such a gang. Charges have also been filed against three individuals for appealing to high-ranking criminals and five other individuals for involvement in the implementation of goals pursued by the gang.

Among the ten individuals subject to criminal prosecution, six have been remanded in custody as a preventive measure. Active measures are being undertaken to fully uncover the circumstances of the crimes referenced and to discover other criminal schemes related to the criminal subculture, clarifying and neutralizing the criminal activities of involved parties. The unwavering and consistent fight against the criminal subculture and the eradication of this social evil remains an absolute priority for the Prosecutor’s Office and other law enforcement agencies in Armenia. In this context, periodic reports will be presented to the public regarding the results of the work carried out by the prosecutorial bodies in this direction. At the same time, the Prosecutor's Office anticipates societal support in the comprehensive fight against these phenomena.