Prosecutor's Office Initiates Actions on a Total of 22 Complaints and Alerts

The working group at the Prosecutor General's Office has summarized the results of actions taken regarding reports and alerts received about alleged electoral offenses during the voting day of the Yerevan City Council regular elections on September 17, from 08:00 to 20:00.

During this period, a total of 22 reports and alerts have been processed and preliminarily examined. This includes 7 reports from the press, 2 posts on social media, 4 from observational missions, 4 from private individuals, 2 from the chairperson of the electoral commission, and 3 from police employees.

Out of the 22 reports on alleged electoral violations, 13, characterized as abstract and general, have been forwarded to the Police of Armenia for necessary verification actions. Among these, 6 relate to coercion to participate in gatherings, 6 to violations regarding the formation of voter lists or the distribution or publication of these lists to citizens or parties, and 1 pertains to the violation of the secrecy of voting.

Additionally, 9 reports on alleged electoral violations have been sent to the relevant subdivisions of the Investigative Committee and the Anti-Corruption Committee for addressing the initiation of criminal proceedings. Among these, 1 report was about obstructing campaigning. In connection with this report, a criminal case has been initiated under Part 1 of Article 264 of the Criminal Code for the destruction or damage of property.

Meanwhile, 2 reports related to voting on behalf of another person, with one report resulting in no criminal proceedings being initiated. One report concerned the obstruction of campaigning, with no proceedings initiated on that either. Other reports included violations such as breaking the prohibition of charity and obstructing the exercise of electoral rights, along with hindering a journalist's lawful professional activity, as well as another related violation.

As a result, no report was recorded to initiate criminal proceedings based on three of the received complaints, while a criminal case has already been initiated based on one report. An investigation is ongoing in relation to the initiated criminal proceeding, and further necessary information regarding the criminal acts, the results of examinations, and the findings and prosecutions by law enforcement bodies will be provided later.

The Prosecutor General’s Office will also present the results of actions taken based on complaints and alerts received throughout the entire electoral process in the near future.