Irresponsible Conduct by Protectors of the Ashotsk Forest Fund

The fight against illegal logging adopted by the Prosecutor General's Office of Armenia continues vigorously across the country, including in the Shirak province, particularly against official crimes that significantly contribute to this issue. The aim is to detect and hold criminally responsible officials who have deliberately or negligently failed to fulfill their obligations to protect the forest fund.

Specifically, on September 3, 2021, a criminal case was initiated concerning the discovered instances of official negligence by officials of the 'Hayantar' State Non-Commercial Organization’s (SNCO) branch in Gyumri, following the prosecutor's exercise of his authority.

During the preliminary investigation conducted by the Shirak regional investigative department, it was established that the chief of the Ashotsk forest management, the engineer, and forest rangers of compartments No. 1 and No. 6, are legally obligated to manage the forestry, monitor the activities conducted within the forest management, prevent violations of all types of forest legislation within their entrusted compartments, detect violations timely, document them, and take the necessary follow-up actions. They must also conduct regular inspections of the compartments, verify forestry operation permits, and oversee compliance by forest users.

However, these individuals exhibited negligent and careless attitudes toward their duties, failing to properly perform their responsibilities. In particular, they did not carry out regular inspections in the mentioned forest management, nor did they prepare reports on inspections or forest violations, which resulted in the illegal cutting of a total of 351 pine trees of various sizes in compartments No. 1 and No. 6 between October 2020 and May 2021. Consequently, this negligence caused substantial harm to the rights and legal interests of the organization and the state, amounting to more than 7 million AMD.

During the spring inspections, the stumps of the felled trees were discovered and recorded by employees of the 'Hayantar' SNCO, Gyumri Branch. For these criminal acts, charges have been brought against the chief of the Ashotsk forest management, the engineer, and the forest rangers of compartments No. 1 and No. 6 under the first part of Article 315 of the Armenian Criminal Code.

The preliminary investigation has concluded, the prosecutor has approved the indictment, and the criminal case against four individuals has been sent to the Shirak region's Court of General Jurisdiction for substantive examination.

The Prosecutor General's Office will also present the results of the efforts against official crimes leading to illegal logging in other regions of Armenia with forested landscapes.