Charges Filed Against Vstrechi Apeer

The Main Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of Armenia has initiated a criminal case against A. Vardanian for providing false information to the civil status registration bodies, falsifying documents, extortion, and organizing the kidnapping of his former partner, as well as attempted robbery and murder.

It has been revealed that A. Vardanian, as a suspect in a criminal case under the jurisdiction of the Special Investigation Service of Armenia, had temporarily been released from custody under the condition of a bail. Aware of the provisions related to the draft law on amnesty circulating in Armenia, stipulating that individuals sentenced to a maximum of six years in prison may be exempt from punishment if they had a child under three years old on the day the law comes into effect, he conspired with a female Ukrainian citizen, who is a single mother, to provide false information regarding her daughter's biological father, intending to create grounds for escaping criminal liability.

On October 29, 2018, three days before the proclamation of amnesty, he submitted an application regarding a determination of paternity to the civil status registration division, falsely claiming to be the biological father of a child born on August 30, 2018. Based on this application, handwritten modifications were made to the child's birth registration on the same day, replacing the previously registered father's information with A. Vardanian's details. Subsequently, a record of acknowledgment of paternity was registered, granting A. Vardanian the rights of a father and a fraudulent certificate of paternity exempting him from liability.

On January 17, 2019, during the substantive examination of the aforementioned criminal case in court, A. Vardanian submitted this false certificate to the court, which resulted in the cessation of criminal prosecution against him and the closure of the case based on the provisions of the amnesty law.

Through extensive investigative actions conducted in this case, other crimes committed by A. Vardanian have also been uncovered. Specifically, evidence was obtained regarding his extortion of particularly large amounts of money and property from a citizen. It is established that in 2012, a familiar acquaintance approached Vardanian asking for assistance in returning a monetary obligation, to which he agreed. He invited the debtor first to a secluded area and then to his private house under the pretext of resolving the monetary issue. During the meetings, exploiting his reputation as a figure within criminal circles who resolves financial matters outside of legal procedures, he threatened the debtor with violence and extorted $50,000 in cash, a Mercedes G-class vehicle valued at another $50,000, which he re-registered to his name, and a house registered in the name of the debtor's mother, totaling a value of 60 million 261 thousand AMD in equivalent cash and property obtained through extortion.

Additionally, A. Vardanian commanded his associates to openly steal a BMW X6 valued at $25,000 from his former partner during the summer of 2016, instructing them to use violence. Under his directions, the group blocked the vehicle on the corner of Bournazyan and Davit Sasunci streets in Yerevan and forcibly took it from the owner, striking him and fleeing the scene.

It has also been established that A. Vardanian organized the kidnapping and attempted murder of the vehicle owner, assigning these tasks to his nephew in the summer of 2019. Following instructions from Vardanian, the nephew approached the victim's residence under false pretenses, deceiving him into believing they were going to meet with Vardanian, subsequently abducting and holding him against his will at Vardanian's private residence, where he was subjected to violence by both Vardanian and unidentified individuals.

Further inquiries revealed that A. Vardanian had plotted the murder of his former partner, devising a plan and assigning roles for this purpose. One of his associates rented a vehicle on March 4, 2020, to carry out the murder and obstruct investigations, camouflaging it with paint and replacing the original license plates before driving to the victim's address. On that same day, around 5:30 PM, at a certain workshop on Bournazyan street, the perpetrator fired shots at A. Vardanian's former partner with a firearm, endangering bystanders, including other individuals in the workshop, but the crime did not reach completion as the perpetrators fled the scene.

A. Vardanian has been charged under Article 169.1 (providing false information to civil status registration bodies), Article 325 (falsifying, utilizing, or using documents, stamps, seals, forms, or vehicle registration numbers), Section 182 (extortion), Article 38-176 (organizing robbery), Section 38-131 (organizing kidnapping), and Article 38-34-104 (organizing attempted murder). The prosecution has filed a request to the court to reaffirm his detention, which was granted on July 15, 2020. It was previously reported that A. Vardanian was declared wanted on March 5, 2020, and was detained following joint operations by the Investigative Committee of Armenia and the Criminal Police.

The investigation continues as the investigative team seeks to clarify all circumstances of these serious crimes and identify any individuals involved in their planning and execution. More investigative and procedural actions are underway.

Notice: The accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty in accordance with the procedures established by the Criminal Procedure Code of Armenia.