VIDEO: They Joined the Enemy for Reward; Preliminary Investigation into State Treason Case Concluded

In addition to the announcement made by the National Security Service of Armenia on June 7 this year, which reported the discovery of a state treason case carried out by an organized group, the NSS has announced the conclusion of the preliminary investigation into that case.

During the investigation, it was revealed that two citizens of Armenia, lacking permanent employment and sources of income, traveled together to Istanbul, Turkey, in search of work, where they came under the radar of Azerbaijani intelligence services and accepted an offer to be recruited in exchange for material benefits, acting against the territorial integrity and external security of the Republic of Armenia.

These individuals, for reward, switched sides to the enemy and gathered, stored, and transferred information containing state and service secrets to representatives of a foreign state whose identities have yet to be established, with the intent to facilitate espionage and other assistance. This allowed the adversary to obtain precise calculations of troops and resources, determine the number, locations, and deployments of their forces involved in operations in various sectors, make tactical adjustments accordingly, and predict the potential volume of operations and the probable nature of actions to be carried out by different units of the RA Armed Forces, thereby creating favorable conditions for the effective targeting during combat operations and hindering the proper execution of tasks assigned to the Artsakh Defense Army and RA Armed Forces units.

This conduct created advantageous conditions for the enemy forces to break through defensive lines and advance further, thus committing state treason against the territorial integrity and external security of the Republic of Armenia.

Based on the evidence collected within the framework of the criminal case, the individuals who committed state treason have been summoned as defendants, and on November 26, 2021, the criminal case was sent to the prosecutor overseeing the legality of the investigation for approval and subsequent submission to court.

The National Security Service of the Republic of Armenia will continue its persistent efforts to expose, prevent, and thwart the intelligence activities of foreign state services, other organizations, and individual persons, warning that effective measures will be taken to protect the safety of individuals, society, and the state, as well as the constitutional order, rights, and freedoms of citizens from internal and external threats.

Notice: A suspect or accused in the alleged crime is considered innocent until proven guilty in accordance with the procedures established by the Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Armenia with a legally binding verdict of the court.