Espionage and State Betrayal: New Revelations by the NSS

The National Security Service (NSS) of Armenia, in active collaboration with the Prosecutor General's Office, has obtained substantial evidence regarding incidents of state betrayal manifested through espionage and compromising actions with respect to the enemy's side.

The Prosecutor General's Office reports that on August 10, 2022, the Investigative Department of the NSS received a proper notification from the Department of Counterintelligence indicating instances of state betrayal allegedly committed by Armenian citizen V.G. and espionage conducted by a foreign national.

According to the available factual data, V.G., who was recruited by the special services of a foreign state in 2017, provided different forms of assistance for hostile activities, initiated contact with employees of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Georgia, and after leaving Armenia via the “Bagratashen” border checkpoint on June 7, 2022, addressed the President of Azerbaijan via a video message on August 7, declaring his renunciation of Armenian citizenship and expressing his desire to obtain Azerbaijani citizenship. This act constituted state betrayal, expressed through switching allegiance to the enemy, espionage detrimental to the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and external security of Armenia.

Additionally, on August 10, 2022, a similar notification was received concerning Armenian citizen I.V., who allegedly committed acts of state betrayal and espionage by a foreign national.

According to the available evidence, I.V., residing in Istanbul, Turkey, was recruited by foreign special services and made openly anti-Armenian statements in his social media posts on Facebook throughout 2022, praising the Azerbaijani authorities, criticizing the actions of the Armenian armed forces during the Artsakh-Azerbaijan war that started on September 27, 2020. He also appealed to the President of Azerbaijan, requesting citizenship and the opportunity to live and work in Stepanakert under Azerbaijani jurisdiction. This act was also considered state betrayal, characterized by switching allegiance to the enemy and engaging in espionage against the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and external security of Armenia.

For the aforementioned cases, separate criminal proceedings were initiated in the NSS's Investigative Department on August 10, 2022, under Article 418, Part 1 and Article 424, Part 1 of the RA Criminal Code. Urgent investigative measures and procedural actions are being conducted to provide an appropriate legal assessment of the actions of the mentioned individuals.