Artyom Kaneyskoy, Honored by the Ministry of Education, Continues to Face Criminal Prosecution

The notorious criminal figure known as Artyom Kaneyskoy, whose real name is Artyom Harutyunov, has been awarded a certificate of appreciation by the Ministry of Education and Science (MES), but he continues to be under criminal prosecution for illegally possessing weapons and ammunition. Although in April of this year, Harutyunov was acquitted by the Yerevan City Court of General Jurisdiction, the court ruling has not yet come into legal force. The prosecution, represented by prosecutor Haik Khachatryan, has appealed the decision to the Court of Appeals, seeking to overturn and modify the lower court's ruling, aiming to find Harutyunov guilty under Article 235, Part 1 of the Penal Code (illegal possession of weapons and ammunition) and sentencing him to 1 year and 6 months of imprisonment.

Currently, this case is being examined by Judge Andranik Mnatsakanyan of the Court of Appeals.

It’s worth noting that MES Deputy Minister Karen Giluoyan, who presented the certificate of appreciation on behalf of the ministry, stated in an interview with Aravot.am that he was unaware of Harutyunov's criminal past and that his standard is based on the individual's charity work, their freedom, and that they are not wanted. It appears that Giluoyan is not only unaware of the ongoing criminal prosecution against Harutyunov, but he has also not seen the police videos captured during the last three years regarding the ‘asphalting’ operations carried out in the Republic by the government order. Moreover, he is unaware that law enforcement agencies have, in the framework of fighting against criminal subculture, repeatedly detained Harutyunov with loud operations (asphalting) or searched his home and vehicle over the past three years.

During the court hearings regarding Harutyunov's case, his defense attorney has had the opportunity to raise the issue of asphalting related to his client. The defense requested the court to refrain from the psychology of ‘asphalting’ and plastering on the walls, as according to him, this mentality poses a direct threat to the justice of Armenia.

It should be noted that under Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s administration, Harutyunov has been detained at least three times with noise, the latest being in August of the previous year on suspicion of illegally acquiring weapons and ammunition.

In this situation, it remains to be acknowledged that the asphalting operations sponsored by the Prime Minister are meaningless, and the law enforcement agencies' fight against the criminal subculture is nothing more than a facade when the accused can provide financial services to the current government. It would not be surprising if, after some time, a school renovated with Kaneyskoy's funds is presented as one of the achievements of the new government’s school construction efforts and showcased by Pashinyan as part of the ‘100 Facts of New Armenia’ to the public.