Anna Vardapetyan, Prosecutor General of the Republic of Armenia, presented the report on the activity of the Prosecutor’s Office of 2022 to the discussion of the National Assembly on May 3, according to the constitutional law “On the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly”. 

The report consisted of 11 main sections. In particular, the Prosecutor General referred to some of the priority areas for the Prosecutor's Office—fight against corruption, protection of state interests, claims submitted to the Anti-Corruption Court for the purpose of confiscation of illegally obtained property, delay in the investigation of criminal cases, or, in other words, “belated justice.”

She presented the crime statistics recorded in the Republic during last year— 37,612 crime cases were recorded in Armenia (30,245 cases in 2021), where 21,604 cases were recorded in Yerevan (16,438 cases in 2021). Crime cases increased by 7367 or 24.4% compared to the previous year.

The absolute majority of 37,612 cases of crime, 84.1%, are crimes of minor (21,281 cases or 56.6%) and moderate severity (10,371 cases or 27.6 %).

In 2022, the number of crimes against people, public safety, public order, population health and economic activity has increased.

Property crimes decreased in 2022 (15,149 in 2021, 13,902 in 2022).

The number of murder cases, excluding sudden death cases, were 58 in 2022 compared to 60 cases last year, that is, 2 or 3.4 % less. The number of murder cases in Yerevan decreased by 8 or 30.8 % and increased by 6 or 17.6 % in the regions.

During the financial year, 25 cases of crimes regarding the criminal subculture were recorded, compared to 14 of the previous year. The number of reported cases of drug trafficking increased by 743 or 76.3 % amounting to 1,717 compared to 974 cases in 2021.

In 2022, the number of crimes against economic activity increased by 354 cases or 34.2 % compared to 2021.

 During 2022, the number of crimes against state power, state service and government system increased by 20.2 % compared to the previous year.

1858 cases of corruption crimes were registered. The cases of corruption crimes decreased by 66 or 3.4 %, compared to 2021.

What refers to the sector of protection of state interests, the RA Prosecutor General noted that 212 investigations were carried out and 428 offenses revealed during 2022.

Anna Vardapetyan presented details of the work that have been done in the field of confiscation of property of illicit origin. In 2022, the relevant department of the General Prosecutor's Office received 25 materials on the data found as a result of material and operational investigative measures in 50 criminal cases regarding the ownership of property of 84 persons of possible illicit origin.

Anna Vardapetyan also responded to the deputies’ questions regarding the cases of confiscation of property of illicit origin, expansion of the capabilities of the Department of Confiscation of Property of Illicit Origin of the General Prosecutor’s Office, extortion of drams by deception in cases of online trade, modern forms of fraud in online trade, disclosure of corruption crimes, increase in drug addiction, police reforms etc.

The NA Vice President Hakob Arshakyan inquired at what phase the state-level crime disclosure investigations are.

“Data on the cases of October 27 and March 1 were in the draft of the report, but they were not included in the final version of the document,” the RA Prosecutor General said. Anna Vardapetyan noted that investigative actions are being carried out in both proceedings and assured that the information about the work carried out by the Prosecutor's Office will be regularly reported to the Parliament and the public.

Zaruhi Batoyan, the deputy inquired about the methodology of conducting statistics on cases of domestic violence and violence against women. Anna Vardapetyan noted that they will review the format of conducting statistics with their colleagues. According to Anna Vardapetyan, there are numerous cases when murder is a manifestation of a domestic violence and, unfortunately, it turns out that the law enforcement agencies were aware of tense relations in the family.

“Doesn’t the decrease in disclosure along with the increase in drug addiction mean that police reforms, if not failed, then are being implemented in the wrong direction,” Artur Khachatryan, the deputy asked. The RA Prosecutor General did not agree that the reforms have failed. According to her, the ways of committing crimes concerning illegal drug trafficking have changed. It was mentioned that the qualitative change in crime does not mean that the reforms have failed.

“Reforms are being carried out in different directions, including the format of introducing the patrol service. And, yes, the patrol service as a sector of reform has succeeded,” highlighted Anna Vardapetyan.