New Circumstances Revealed in the Illegal Adoption Process of Children

The investigation team of the Special Investigation Committee of the Republic of Armenia continues to carry out active investigative and procedural actions aimed at clarifying all circumstances related to illegal adoption cases of children. As a result of extensive investigative and other procedural actions conducted during the pre-trial investigation, it has been discovered that starting from November 29, 2005, funds began to be transferred to individuals fulfilling the duties of representatives of foreign companies dealing with adoption in a foreign country, as well as to those who directly applied for adoption.

According to data obtained during the investigation, a criminal group was established and led with the intent of facilitating the buying and selling of children in order to assume care for children who are citizens of the Republic of Armenia for foreign citizens seeking adoption. The goal of this criminal collaboration was to maximize the number of children adopted by foreign citizens and thereby gain 'unjustifiable financial or other benefits' as defined by Article 32 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in violation of the child's best interests.

The group included employees from operational maternity homes in Armenia, staff from the Ministry of Justice of Armenia, the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, orphanages run by these ministries, local self-governance officials, and others, including individuals providing translation and other services related to the adoption process.

Information from the investigation reveals that some group members carried out functions as representatives of foreign companies in the adoption process, while others provided services for which more than €1.8 million and $26,000 were transferred during 2005-2019 to bank accounts of Armenian citizens involved in the adoption process. Since 2007, details of foreign adoptive parents have been noted as the purpose of these money transfers.

It was revealed that those acting on behalf of foreign companies received separate payments for each adoption, significantly exceeding the necessary expenditures for adoptions within Armenia, resulting in unjustified income for participants in the process.

The central authority, obliged to monitor financial flows and their transparency, has not taken any action for years to prevent unjustified financial or other benefits, creating conditions for members of the criminal group to reap financial gains from adoptions of children who are citizens of the Republic of Armenia.

Moreover, the investigation has gathered evidence that employees of maternity homes operating in Armenia created conditions for biological parents of children to abandon their children, either out of confusion or under duress, while officials from various competent state and local self-government bodies involved in the group facilitated the smooth flow of the adoption process—sometimes even crafting and presenting documents containing false information to the relevant bodies.

Meanwhile, evidence has emerged during the investigation regarding a person working as a representative of foreign companies involved in adoptions between 2010-2019, who received over €1.29 million from these companies and individuals applying for adoption in a bank account operating under commercial activities in Armenia, falsely categorized as necessary expenses for the adoption process.

In an attempt to conceal the criminal origin of these funds, more than €430,000 was transferred from this account to various individuals for different purposes, and more than €402,000 was withdrawn in cash, primarily indicated for personal needs. Another Armenian citizen closely associated with the named individual received over €55,000 from the aforementioned organizations, also disguised as necessary expenses for the adoption process.

In the end, by converting and transferring funds obtained through the adoption process, the criminally acquired property was legalized through money laundering.

A criminal case has been initiated at the Special Investigation Committee based on Article 168, Part 2, Point 2 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia (concerning the buying or selling of a child for the purpose of assuming care), Article 190, Part 3, Point 1 (money laundering), and Article 223 (forming or participating in organized crime), with decisions made to combine and jointly investigate connected criminal cases related to revealing adoption secrets and compelling consent to adoptions.

The investigation is ongoing.

Note: The suspect or accused in the alleged crime is considered innocent until proven guilty in accordance with the procedures established by the Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Armenia, by the legal judgment of the court.