Investigation into the Criminal Case of Mvses Hakobyan Concluded; He Has Been Charged, Says NSS

The investigation conducted by the National Security Service's investigative department has established, under conditions of comprehensive, objective, and complete scrutiny, that the former head of the military oversight service of the Ministry of Defense of Armenia, given his long service, had the authority to access information classified as state secret. During one of his public interviews on November 19, 2020, he disclosed sensitive information regarding long-term forecasts for armaments and military technology, development programs, as well as documents revealing the operational plans and combat readiness of armed forces, other troops, and civil defense forces.

Based on a sufficient collection of evidence obtained in the case, this former high-ranking military official has been charged with an alleged crime under Article 306, Part 1 of the Armenian Criminal Code, and a measure of restraint has been selected against him. On June 29, 2021, the criminal case with an accusatory conclusion was sent to the prosecutor responsible for monitoring the legality of the investigation to confirm the indictment and forward it to court.

The National Security Service urges individuals authorized to access state secrets to strictly adhere to the requirements of the Armenian Law on “State and Service Secrets,” as these are protected by the state, and their dissemination may pose serious consequences for the security of the Republic of Armenia. Meanwhile, it is noted that under Article 306 of the Armenian Criminal Code, criminal liability is provided for intentionally or negligently disclosing state secrets, with imprisonment ranging from three to seven years as a penalty for the aggravated part of the same article.