Criminal Prosecution Initiated Against Police Officer for Torturing a Citizen

A criminal prosecution has been initiated against police officer Hayk Hakobyan for the apparent torture of a citizen. This information was provided by the Office of the Prosecutor General of Armenia in response to an inquiry from 1Lurer.am.

"On February 4, 2026, a criminal case was initiated. On February 5, 2026, the prosecutor initiated a public criminal prosecution against Hayk Hakobyan under Article 450 (torture) of the Criminal Code," stated the Prosecutor’s Office.

It is noteworthy that a video circulated on the internet showing a representative of the law enforcement system using physical force and shouting insults at a citizen while attempting to extract a testimony. In connection with the video involving the police officer, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Narek Sargsyan, stated that an internal investigation has been launched within the Ministry's internal security and anti-corruption department, and the officer shown in the video has had his powers suspended. A report regarding the apparent crime has been filed.