Director of Vardenis Neuropsychological Care Home Arrested

The director of the Vardenis Neuropsychological Care Home and four employees have been charged, with the director being arrested. This was announced by Gor Abrahamyan, spokesperson for the Investigative Committee of Armenia.

In light of public interest and the numerous verbal inquiries received from the media, I would like to inform you of the following. Following the documented criminal manifestations at the Vardenis Neuropsychological Care Home, on February 16, 2023, a criminal case was initiated at the Gegharkunik Regional Investigative Department of the RA Investigative Committee based on Article 256, part 2, clause 2; Article 188, part 2, clauses 2 and 3; Article 435, part 1; Article 436, part 1; and Article 450, part 2, clause 4 of the RA Criminal Code.

A request was submitted to the supervising prosecutor regarding the public prosecution against the director and four employees of the aforementioned organization, who had been arrested, which was approved. As a result, the director was charged under Article 450, part 2, clauses 4 and 7, and Article 188, part 2, clause 3; the psychologist of the institution was charged under Article 450, part 2, clauses 4 and 7, while the other three employees were charged under Article 196, part 2, clauses 5 and 6.

A motion was filed in court requesting the detention of the director and the psychologist as a preventive measure. The motion regarding the director was fully granted, and he has been arrested, while the motion regarding the psychologist was partially granted, with the court deciding on house arrest as an alternative preventive measure. The other three employees were subject to a prohibition from leaving the country as the preventative measure and were released from detention.

Note: A person charged with a crime is considered innocent until proven guilty by a court ruling that has entered into legal force in accordance with the Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Armenia.

It is worth mentioning that as a result of operational-investigative measures and procedural actions taken by law enforcement, on February 16, one of the patients was found chained with a metal chain to the heating system in one of the patient rooms of the care home. Following this, the director of the neuropsychological care home and a group of employees were arrested and brought before the prosecuting authority.

In particular, one of the patients was performing cleaning work in the director's pigsty, and at the director's request, the patients were doing economic work in place of the care home employees. Additionally, according to reports, the director subjected the patients to torture and instructed them not to provide the allocated amount of cigarettes and the food stipulated in the daily menu.