Criminal Case Launched Over Child Trafficking Incident

On July 16, 2020, at 1:05 PM, a resident of Gyumri reported that her son's wife had given birth to a girl in Yerevan on August 20, 2018. She later informed them that the child had died; however, she discovered that the child was alive and was at the home of a Yerevan resident. When she called this person and requested the return of her granddaughter, the individual agreed but demanded a repayment of 1,200,000 AMD that was supposedly paid for the child.

Following the report, materials were prepared, which led to the initiation of a criminal case under Article 168 (Sale of a child for the purpose of taking the child into custody or for entrusting the child to the custody of the buyer) and Article 169.1 (Providing false information to civil registry authorities) of the Criminal Code of Armenia. The case has been forwarded to the Shirak regional investigative department of the RA Investigative Committee for further investigation.

An investigation is underway. Necessary investigative and procedural actions are being taken to clarify all circumstances of the case and ensure an objective, complete, and comprehensive examination.