As a result of a comprehensive and effective investigation carried out by the Investigation Department of the RA National Security Service, sufficient factual data was obtained that a serviceman, who previously held a number of high positions in the RA Armed Forces, committed high treason to the detriment of the territorial integrity and external security of the Republic of Armenia, as well as having created an organized group, without state registration, accounting and special permission (license), was engaged in business activities subject to licensing, associated with causing damage to the state on an especially large scale, illegally acquired and stored cartridges, a grenade and live fuses, which are ammunition.

Thus, the serviceman, brought in as a defendant in this criminal case, during the period of his service in office received the right to access information related to state and official secrets and documents containing this information.

The mentioned person, while on the territory of Georgia several years ago, came to the attention of the Azerbaijani intelligence services operating in that country and, being recruited by employees of these services, received specific assignments, for the purpose of transfer, collected and stored information about external security, armed forces and weapons of the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh, in order to carry out hostile activities, transferred to representatives of the foreign state documents and information that became available to him due to the nature of his service, and also provided other assistance to carry out hostile activities.

Having financial problems and intending to obtain material benefit by committing high treason, for a reward he accepted an offer, from representatives of the Azerbaijani special services engaged in hostile activities, whose identity has not been established, to carry out criminal activities to the detriment of the territorial integrity and external security of the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh, after which he initiated its implementation, with representatives of a foreign organization, developing and selecting options for establishing contact with them, transferring relevant information and providing other assistance secretly from the RA state bodies, including those carrying out counterintelligence activities.

Afterwards, in order to carry out his criminal intention, in a private house owned by him, he collected and stored documents and information constituting state and official secrets about the military units of Armenia and Artsakh, their places of deployment, purpose, composition of units, number and types of weapons and military equipment, radio data from combat exercises, conditioned signals, radio networks, radio directions, communication plans, enemy forces available in front of the corps of the Armenian army, including tanks, batteries, reinforcement equipment, their total number, priority targets for destruction of enemy objects (targets), their coordinates, sizes, means of destruction, number of missiles, as well as data on the availability of information from the Armenian side about the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, military units, formations, subunits, combat armored vehicles, including infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers, artillery, mortars, anti-tank means, military air defense systems, their types, quantities, information about persons serving and enlisted in the reserve of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia, etc.

Moreover, using his connections among the officers in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia and the Defense Army of the Republic of Artsakh, he periodically met with the latter and showed interest in specific actions carried out by different units of the Artsakh Defense Army and the general activities of artillery, collected data on this, after which he periodically travelled from the Republic of Armenia to Georgia, and both on the territory of the Azerbaijani Embassy and outside it met and had telephone conversations with employees of Azerbaijani intelligence services or their representatives, and, while carrying out assignments from the intelligence services of the enemy country, conveyed or informed them in parts collected and stored information constituting state or official secrets, to the detriment of the territorial integrity and external security of the Republic of Armenia.

At the same time, throughout this entire time, the high-ranking military man tried, as much as possible, to keep his identity, available contact telephone numbers and means of communication with intelligence services secret.

According to data obtained during the investigation, it was established that the military man brought in as an accused personally went to the Azerbaijani embassy in Georgia with the aim of meeting with employees of the Azerbaijani special services, whose identity has not been established, and passing on relevant information to them, and, in order not to be detected, hid his appearance, in the embassy building he met with employees of special services and gave them the information required from him and the information he had collected, constituting state and official secrets, as well as information that became known to him due to the nature of his service or personal connections.

As a result, a person who held high positions in the RA Armed Forces transmitted information constituting state and official secrets to representatives of the foreign state, which provided the enemy with a real opportunity to make accurate calculations of forces and means, determine the number, deployment, location of forces and means involved in carrying out the tasks in various sectors, in accordance with this, carry out tactical changes, as well as determine in advance the possible volume and probable nature of the tasks that were to be carried out by different military units of the RA Armed Forces, create favorable conditions for targeted and effective destruction during combat operations and as a result, interfere with the proper implementation of the tasks assigned to the units of the RA Armed Forces, thus committing high treason through espionage, transferring state secrets or providing other assistance in carrying out hostile activities.

Despite all this, based on the evidence obtained during the preliminary investigation in the criminal case, it was established that the same person, acting as part of an organized group, was illegally engaged in business activities subject to licensing, in particular, together with a friend, acquired and imported into the Republic of Armenia more than 200 tanks headphones and helmets, which are goods of military significance, which he sold to a citizen of a foreign state and received a profit of 7.466.505 AMD, causing damage to the state on an especially large scale.

In addition to the above-mentioned, the person holding high positions in the RA Armed Forces in a period not established by the investigation, illegally acquired, transported and in the period up to June 3, 2020 inclusive, in a private house belonging to him by right of ownership, illegally stored more than 1000 live cartridges, which are ammunition and intended for firing from sniper rifles, machine guns and other weapons, and pistols, an F-1 hand-held fragmentation grenade, a combat fuse.

Based on a sufficient body of evidence obtained during the preliminary investigation, a high-ranking military officer was brought in as an accused and detention was chosen as a preventive measure against him.

A criminal case initiated on the facts of committing high treason, carrying out illegal business activities by an organized group causing damage to the state on an especially large scale and illegal acquisition, transportation and storage of ammunition, with an indictment, was sent to the prosecutor in charge of the procedural management of the preliminary investigation, for its approval and referral to court for consideration of the case on the merits.

The National Security Service of the Republic of Armenia warns that it will carry out a consistent and irreconcilable fight to disclose, prevent and disrupt intelligence activities of intelligence services and other organizations of foreign states, as well as individuals, and will continue to take effective measures aimed at protecting the security of the individual, society and the state, constitutional order, rights and freedoms of citizens from external and internal threats.

Note: The suspect or accused of an alleged crime is considered innocent as long as his guilt is not proven in a manner prescribed by the Code of Criminal Procedure of RA - by the court decision entered into legal force.