Court Approves Arrest of Former Armenian Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan

The Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction has approved the request to arrest former Armenian Minister of Defense Vigen Sargsyan. This information was provided to Auroranews by the Prosecutor General's Office.

It is noteworthy that the former minister is accused of acting beyond his authorized powers during the distribution of apartments in a multi-apartment building located at 25/6 G. Hasratyan Street in Yerevan, which was on the Ministry of Defense's balance sheet in January 2018.

Vigen Sargsyan issued a statement claiming that the charges against him constitute political persecution and a gross violation of human rights. He noted that during the 18 months he served as Minister of Defense, he had done more to enhance the combat readiness of the Armed Forces and strengthen the military than the current government has done in the last five years.

Referring to the distribution of 26 apartments, he emphasized that it was carried out in accordance with the law, based on the combat experience and merits of the recipients. According to Sargsyan, the charges are also a signal from the current authorities that he should not return to Armenia against the backdrop of "upcoming very dangerous developments."

Additionally, on February 8, 2023, a decision was made by the prosecutor involved in the case to initiate public criminal proceedings against the former Minister of Defense under Part 2, Point 5 of Article 441 of the RA Criminal Code (abuse of official powers by an official, resulting in other severe consequences due to negligence). Public criminal proceedings have also been initiated against five members of the RA Ministry of Defense's Central Housing Commission under the same article.