Crimes Against Humanity Are Being Concealed Due to the Export of Corruption on International Platforms: Arthur Davtyan

The Prosecutor General of Armenia, Arthur Davtyan, delivered a speech on December 14 at the 9th session of the Conference of State Parties to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, taking place in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. He stated that the fight against corruption in Armenia is strategic, with one of the main issues being the institutional model's implementation through new anti-corruption frameworks.

Arthur Davtyan identified several components of this framework, including the introduction of a civil procedure for the confiscation of assets derived from illegal origins in line with international anti-corruption documents, as well as the establishment of prosecutorial oversight over the legality of investigations into corruption cases during preliminary investigations and trials. He also emphasized the need for specialized judges to handle such cases.

In the context of corruption prevention, he highlighted the mandatory declaration of the property, income, expenditure, and interests of public officials, along with the introduction of institutional tools for the verification of the integrity of officials in the judicial system and the prosecutor's office.

Moreover, Davtyan underscored the necessity of addressing the export of corruption on international relations platforms, which has a profoundly negative impact on the strengthening of democracies at the national level, state development, and regional security. He remarked, “The growing trends of exporting corruption and bribing officials from foreign and intergovernmental organizations pose additional challenges to the implementation of human rights protection, democratic governance, and the sustainable development of societies, severely affecting regional peace and stability. Many crimes, including military crimes against humanity, are concealed under such bribes and corrupt activities, creating an atmosphere of impunity.

This was particularly evident during the military aggression against the people of Nagorno-Karabakh last year, which was accompanied by military crimes against the peaceful population of Artsakh and the involvement of several thousand foreign combatants from terrorist organizations in the well-known Middle Eastern region.”

Arthur Davtyan concluded that it is crucial to respond to such trends to prevent and counteract these crimes in a timely manner. He emphasized the Armenian Prosecutor's Office's full readiness to deepen international cooperation in the fight against corruption.