In the past 7 months of 2023, no case of a particularly serious or particularly serious crime has remained undetected. Yerjanik  Gevorgyan, the Head of the First Investigative Division of Kentron and Nork-Marash administrative districts of Yerevan of the RA Investigative Committee , mentioned this in the framework of “The Investigator Presents” series of interviews of Iravaban.net. According to him, the cases of illegal trafficking of firearms have increased, which is also due to the 44-day war. The cases of illegal drug trafficking, cases of serious and particularly serious crimes involving the use of computer equipment have increased as well. 

-Mr. Gevorgyan, what kind of crime dynamics have been recorded in the Kentron and Nork Marash administrative districts of Yerevan in the past 6 months of this year? What troubling and positive trends can you identify in terms of registered crimes or their discoverability?

– As I have already mentioned, the cases of serious and particularly serious crimes, in particular, murders, attempted murders, robberies implemented through social networks, illegal drug trafficking and illegal trafficking of firearms, have increased.

I think this is due to a number of factors. For example, the cases of illegal trafficking of firearms increased especially after the 44-day war, when many of those who participated in it brought weapons and ammunition with them from the battlefield. The increase in fraudulent crimes is caused by the inflow of a large number of foreign citizens into our country. The increase in crimes committed through social networks, as well as cases of illegal drug trafficking, is due to the daily development of information technology, and in some cases, the lack of control measures.

Despite their growth, which is legitimately worrisome, I must note that investigative bodies, in cooperation with all other bodies responsible for the prevention and detection of crimes, effectively fight against criminal phenomena, which of course give positive results and it should be considered that, as during the last year and in the past 7 months of this year, no case of a particularly serious and especially serious crime remained undetected.

– Mr. Gevorgyan, you have been in the system for more than 13 years. Can you indicate what key changes the investigative body has undergone over the years?

– I think that the establishment of the RA Investigative Committee  as an independent, in other words, a structure that is not part of any other department, was important among such changes, because it is known that before the establishment of the RA Investigative Committee , except for certain cases provided by law, the General Investigation Department and its divisions within the RA Police carried out preliminary investigations in criminal cases, which did not sufficiently allow the investigator to be independent and unfettered in his actions, because, however, the impulse not to harm or ignore the interest of the police, even if subconsciously, accompanied the investigator.

It is also important that especially in recent years and especially in parallel with the development of information technologies, the leadership of the Investigative Committee  regularly organizes training courses in order to improve the professional knowledge and skills of the committee’s employees. And it is more important that in recent years the subordinate units of the Investigative Committee , including the specialized units, cooperate more closely with each other, especially in terms of the methodology and experience sharing of investigation of certain types of crimes. Of course, the moral and psychological positive atmosphere prevailing in the structure plays a very important role in that.

Why not, we should also highlight the state’s desire to increase the social guarantees of the committee’s employees, which is an important prerequisite for effective work.

– What was the practice of preventive detention and how was it affected by the introduction of new preventive measures under the new criminal procedure law?

– It is natural that the new preventive measures, house arrest and administrative control provided for by the new Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Armenia, were a prerequisite for submitting a petition for preventive detention and, therefore, the cases of using detention to decrease.

The point is that, compared to preventive detention, house arrest and administrative control provide for milder conditions of stay, but at the same time, in terms of their application, they differ little from preventive detention, containing restrictions on the movement and freedom of action of the accused in a similar way to preventive detention.

The above-mentioned circumstance, on the one hand, allows the body conducting the proceedings to refrain from petitioning for detention in order not to isolate the accused from society and the social environment, giving the accused the opportunity to confirm the confidence shown by the body conducting the proceedings in him from the beginning, that even if he is not arrested, the accused in the pre-trial proceedings will exhibit proper or lawful conduct.

On the other hand, the use of house arrest or administrative control, being measures that limit the movement and freedom of action of the accused, allows the authority conducting the proceedings to effectively ensure the proper behavior of the accused.

Summarizing the above, I would like to note that currently the body conducting the proceedings has a real opportunity to file a petition for detention only in cases where it is convinced that even house arrest or administrative control will not be able to ensure the proper behavior of the accused in the pre-trial proceedings.

When analyzing the practice of preventive detention in general, one must first analyze the types of crimes recorded, their nature and methods of execution.

In this context, I would also like to point out that recently there has been an increase in cases of serious and particularly serious crimes committed with the use of computer equipment or as part of a crime, in which criminal proceedings other than detention are used, including house arrest and administrative control, at least at the preliminary stage of investigation is unable to ensure the proper behavior of the accused, because under such conditions of a restraining order, the accused get the opportunity to use various digital means of communication, to communicate with other people.

– Previously, you performed your duties in Lori and Shirak marzes, now in the city of Yerevan. What are the differences between working in regions and in the capital?

– If you work with dedication, your work is very heavy in all places. In other respects, perhaps, the difference lies between the mentality of the residents of the regions and the capital, which, however, has little impact on work.

– In 2016, you took a work break for about 2 years, you were relieved from the service according to your application. What was the motivation to return to the system?

– Of course, I returned to the system because of my love for the investigator’s work and the desire to use my legal education to serve the state interest to the maximum.

At the same time, I must honestly admit that until I was relieved according to my personal application, perhaps due to lack of free time, I did not experience the work of an investigator, or it would be correct to say my attitude towards living the lifestyle of an investigator.

– Do you remember what was the most complicated case of your work practice, the disclosure of which required special skills and investigative tactics?

-Effective preliminary investigation in each criminal proceeding, of course, requires professional skills, as well as tactics equivalent to the actual crime case, but the same tactics cannot be definitely applicable to the investigation of a different crime case, because the persons involved in it, the circumstances are generally different.

In my work practice, I have examined various crime cases and the most complicated case was a case of illegal drug trafficking investigated by me, during the investigation of which I discovered a case of serious bodily injury that happened about six years ago and was not disclosed, in which the victim was the same accused in the case of illegal drug trafficking. Since I was investigating a crime case that happened about 6 years ago, in which the witnesses of the incident were already interrogated, who of course gave superficial testimony, it was necessary to interrogate them once again, to confront them, and so it was necessary to develop the tactics correctly. And, of course, we succeeded in that matter, exclusively as a result of investigative actions, the case of a grave crime committed in previous years that was not revealed was revealed, and the guilty person was brought to justice.

– What should or can motivate the investigator to show integrity, fairness and efficiency in his work? Do you consider only the increase of salary sufficient for that?

– I think the salary is the least motivating factor in the context of the motivations you mentioned. As I mentioned above, the main driving force for me to demonstrate integrity, fairness and efficiency in my work is my love and respect for the work I do, and the drive to use my legal education to the best of my ability to serve the public interest.

– Since 6 November, 2020, you participated in the 44-day war as a volunteer. What was the reason for going to Artsakh at that time?

– I do not want to talk too much about that issue, but I think that every Armenian is obliged to be by the side of the motherland in the event of a threat to the homeland, with the unceasing desire to be useful as much as possible.

– Now as well as in the past, criminal proceedings are initiated in the Investigative Committee in case of an injured or a victim at the border. Can you tell what is the purpose of initiating such proceedings when, in fact, the viability of such cases is in question?

– First of all, initiating proceedings in the cases you mentioned is an unequivocal requirement of the RA Criminal Code and the RA Criminal Procedure Code.

In addition, the proceedings initiated in connection with the mentioned cases have a unique fact-finding mission to show the international community who is really the aggressor and who does not value and consider peace as a necessary and mandatory rule of coexistence.

This initiative, implemented in cooperation with the RA Investigative Committee and the Iravaban.net website, aims to properly present to the public the main directions of the work carried out by the preliminary investigation body, to reflect on the peculiarities of pre-trial proceedings and other issues of public importance.