NSS Rejects Criminal Proceedings Against Babayan on 'Treason' Charges

The National Security Service has refused to initiate criminal proceedings against former Defense Minister of Nagorno-Karabakh Samvel Babayan regarding his statements that could be interpreted as treason.

This was reported by azatutyun.am. The NSS argues that there is no criminal composition in Babayan's actions during the negotiations with Azerbaijan.

Senior investigator, Lieutenant Colonel Norair Ayvazyan, noted that Artsakh’s President Araik Harutyunyan was aware of both the negotiation process and the transfer of documents to Baku.

After moving from Artsakh to Armenia, Samvel Babayan stated in multiple interviews that prior to the attack on September 19, he had transferred a document consisting of 23 points to Baku, which proposed that Nagorno-Karabakh should receive autonomy. According to Babayan, Azerbaijan agreed to his proposal, but the authorities in Artsakh obstructed the process.

Following Babayan's statements, Lilit Galstyan, a member of the opposition “Hayastan” faction in the Armenian Parliament, reported a crime to the Prosecutor General, indicating that the former officials' statements contained elements of state treason and self-aggrandizement.

In rejecting the initiation of criminal proceedings, the NSS investigator stated that Samvel Babayan had made general and abstract statements, which do not contain specific information about any crime. “Babayan's actions during negotiations with representatives of Azerbaijan have not been challenged by another person or state, and no regulations were violated. Moreover, former President Araik Harutyunyan was aware of both the process and the documents,” the investigator wrote.

The NSS investigator added that in Babayan’s interviews, there were no statements indicative of crossing over to the enemy’s side or treason, only information concerning the establishment of a status of an autonomous state for Nagorno-Karabakh, which involved the exchange of documents with representatives of Azerbaijan.