Non-expropriable Lands on Noragavit Street 1 Transferred to Several Individuals

Areas adjacent to the railroad along Noragavit Street 1 in the Shengavit administrative district of Yerevan, categorized as public use and non-expropriable lands, have been illegally transferred to a number of citizens, causing significant damage to state interests.

In the framework of a lawsuit for the protection of state interests initiated by the Yerevan Prosecutor's Office, information received from the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure on May 24, 2022, regarding the self-occupied plots in the expropriation zones of the South Caucasus Railway was studied.

The study revealed that the areas adjacent to the railroad on Noragavit Street 1 were public green spaces. Preliminary data was obtained from the Shengavit administrative district's municipality regarding the transfer of plots within the same area to several individuals.

To verify the information received, the Yerevan Prosecutor's Office sent inquiries to the Cadastre Committee and the State Committee for Urban Development on January 30, 2023, and February 14, 2023, respectively. According to the responses from the committees, the real estate is located in areas of public green spaces and buffer zones, with a significant portion of the land, classified as public use green areas, having been transferred to several individuals.

The State Committee for Urban Development did not receive any proposals regarding the changes in the intended uses of these plots.

Considering that during the initiated study related to the lawsuit for the protection of state interests, apparent factual data was obtained indicating that city officials of Yerevan abused their powers and engaged in official forgery to illegally transfer non-expropriable properties, the prosecutor submitted a report on the crime to the Anti-Corruption Committee on March 20, 2023.

A criminal case was initiated at the Anti-Corruption Committee on March 29, 2023, under Articles 441, Part 1 (using one's official powers or influence to the detriment of state or service interests) and 445, Part 1 (distorting the content of an official document in circulation) of the Criminal Code.

Note: The accused in a crime is considered innocent until proven guilty in accordance with the procedures established by the criminal procedure code and a legally binding court judgment.