Criminal Prosecution Against Vitaly Balasanyan Halted, Case Closed: Lawyer

The criminal prosecution against former Secretary of the National Security of Artsakh, Vitaly Balasanyan, has been halted and the case has been closed. This was announced to Tert.am by his lawyer, Rafael Martirosyan.

"If the proceedings had continued and the court had taken up the case, we believe that the criminal case opened and the charges brought against Vitaly Balasanyan were unfounded, and he would undoubtedly have been acquitted by the courts of Artsakh," the lawyer expressed confidence.

It should be recalled that on July 13, the National Security Service of Artsakh arrested Vitaly Balasanyan at his home, along with his son, brother, and nephew. Before the official agency issued a statement regarding Balasanyan's arrest, various fictitious details circulated in the media, accusing him of corruption-related abuses. However, it later became clear that the arrest had no connection to the performance of official duties.

The criminal case, in which searches were conducted, pertains to the alleged misuse of a loan by Balasanyan's son. In addition to him, law enforcement also detained his son, Arthur Balasanyan, his brother, Vachik Balasanyan, and his nephew, Garik Yuzbashyan, who were questioned and released.

Vitaly Balasanyan was charged under four articles of the Artsakh Criminal Code for property theft, illegal possession of weapons and ammunition, committing acts of violence against a representative of power that are not dangerous to life or health, and drug possession.