12 Criminal Cases Initiated for Thefts from Relatives of Captured, Missing, or Deceased Individuals

Following the announcement of the trilateral statement confirming the ceasefire in the Nagorno-Karabakh war on November 10, 2020, numerous instances of fraud involving the parents and relatives of soldiers who went missing, were killed, or fell into captivity during the war have been reported.

The Prosecutor General's Office of Armenia informs that individuals have established contact with the parents and relatives of military personnel who are either deceased, missing, or considered to be in captivity in Azerbaijan. These individuals presented themselves as high-ranking military officers or as people with close ties to representatives of the National Security Service of Armenia or other countries' security services.

Exploiting the trust of parents and relatives, these individuals assured them that they had precise information about the alive status of their son, as well as his specific location in Azerbaijan, whether it be in a specific settlement or a particular correctional facility. They claimed to be able to facilitate the treatment of their captive relative, as well as their release and transport to Armenia through personal connections in other countries, in exchange for certain sums of money or bribes.

In certain cases, they managed to obtain large sums of money under pretense. However, their criminal intentions of committing fraud were largely thwarted before completion due to operational and investigative measures conducted by law enforcement agencies in Armenia.

As a result of the investigation into the aforementioned thefts from the relatives of captured, missing, or deceased individuals, 12 criminal cases have been initiated based on parts 2 and 5 of Article 178 of the Armenian Criminal Code. Following the preliminary investigation, 9 individuals have been charged under the same articles, with the preventive measure of detention selected for 8 of them, while 1 has been ordered to sign a document ensuring their appearance in court.

8 criminal cases concerning 8 individuals have been sent to the court of general jurisdiction for indictment, and the trial is currently ongoing.