If you have an inner will to say “no”, those around you will quickly understand what is permissible in communication with you and what is not. Hrachya Arakelyan, the Head of the Second Investigative Division of Kentron and Nork-Marash administrative districts of Yerevan city of the Investigative Committee of the RA, mentioned within the framework of “Investigator Presents” series of interviews of Iravaban.net, noting that having a good service record is a fundamental issue for him and his surrounding are aware of this.

“Investigator Presents” series is being implemented within the framework of the 10th anniversary of the RA Investigative Committee in 2024.

– Mr. Arakelyan, how did the unit led by you summarize the year 2023? In which aspect of investigative activity do you find the results most important and impressive and why?

– On 3 May, 2023, by the order of the Chairman of the RA Investigative Committee, I was appointed to the position of the Head of the Second Investigative Division of Kentron and Nork-Marash administrative districts of Yerevan city of the Investigative Committee of the RA, and over the course of about eight months, I was able to get to know both the staff and the issues to be resolved in the department.

In 2023, the department carried out a large-scale work. As you know, the city movement takes place mainly in Kentron, to some extent also in Nor Nork administrative regions, due to which, crime cases are relatively more here. As a result, the relative abundance of proceedings also leads to workload. Despite this, according to my assessment, the unit met the tasks set before it in 2023 and performed “good” results.

– In the recent period, stabbings and cases of inflicting severe bodily injuries with the use of firearms seem to have increased. What is the picture in terms of serious and especially serious crimes in the Kentron Administrative District, the busiest in Yerevan? Taking into account the current proceedings, what are the reasons for such trends?

– In the second investigative division of Kentron and Nork Marash administrative districts, there are also criminal proceedings initiated on the basis of hooliganism, on the occasion of inflicting bodily injuries of various degrees with the use of both firearms and sharp cutting-piercing tools/knives. Large-scale administrative and evidentiary operations are carried out in this regard. Since serious and particularly serious crimes have a significant impact on the overall crime situation, we make a special effort to fully identify and investigate them.

According to me, the commission of similar crimes in the Kentron administrative district, the busiest of Yerevan city, is due to the density of service, entertainment and other facilities in this part of the city, the abundance of educational and other institutions and due to them, the intensive flow of citizens. Our studies prove that serious crimes are mainly based on interpersonal disputes, that is, they do not contain elements of organized crime as a rule.

– Mr. Arakelyan, as the head of the department, when you find out that the court makes a verdict of acquittal based on the proceedings examined by the investigators of your department, or gives a different quality to the actions of the accused, comes to fundamentally different conclusions, do such cases have certain consequences? 

-Such cases have not been recorded yet, and if there are, of course, yes, they should become a subject of discussion. As a result of the preliminary study, in the event that deficiencies and violations are found, the question of subjecting the person holding an autonomous position who allowed this to disciplinary responsibility should be discussed. But we should also bear in mind that in certain cases acquittal verdicts are made not because of the shortcomings of the investigation, but in the conditions of the combination of the evidence obtained in terms of the qualification of the act, with different legal assessments of the court. Each case is unique.

– How do you assess the overall quality of the examination conducted by the investigators?

– There are currently vacant positions in the department, but taking into account the factor of workload, we are trying to fill the gap. The statistical indicators prove that despite the enormous workload, we have secured decent results in almost all parameters. The policy implemented by the Investigative Committee in the field of staffing, the significant improvement of the official guarantees of our investigators, I am sure, will lead to a significant positive shift in terms of staffing. However, our problem is not only to increase the number, but especially to attract qualified specialists, which is much more important in my opinion.

– Under the new criminal law, the preliminary investigation process, due to the limitations of criminal prosecution terms, has been significantly accelerated, leading to an increase in the pace of work. To what extent do these new regulations contribute to quality investigation and have you been able to adapt to this new regime?

– The amended criminal procedure laws have been being applied for a long time and we have managed to adapt to them. With the new regulations, the pace of work has increased, especially with public prosecution proceedings, due to time limits. In my opinion, any time limit should not prevent a quality investigation, and with such an approach, such a request was made to the persons holding autonomous positions in the department.

– Can you remember a crime case during your working practice, the detection and understanding of which presented a particular difficulty, required special investigative skills, and which, however, you overcame?

– I can remember several such cases. Let it not sound immodest, but I was able to overcome the difficulties that arose in them with my principled, willful qualities and, due to the benefit of the preliminary investigation, solve the final course of criminal cases. I have transferred and am currently transferring the experience gained during my practice to the autonomous positions of the department where I held and hold managerial positions. By the way, I myself have learned a lot of skills from my senior colleagues, and in this regard, the systematic genetic, enriching memory is one of the most valuable capitals.

– You are from Akhuryan village by birth. You have spent the majority of your service activities, about 20 years, in your region. Especially in regional communities, everyone knows each other. Have they contacted you a lot or are they still contacting you with personal questions? Is it easy to overcome that moral pressure and how do you respond to such “requests”?

– Both in Shirak Marz and in Yerevan city, I was not constrained in acting according to the law. I do not have such a problem at the moment. There was no moral pressure on me, I did not allow it to happen, and because having a good service record is a matter of principle for me and my surrounding know about it. If you have an inner will to say “no”, the people around you quickly understand what is permissible in communication with you and what is not.

– Wasn’t it difficult to start working in the capital after so many years of experience in the region? Were there very obvious differences for you in connection with the work carried out in Shirak and Yerevan?

– There were and still are difficulties in both cases. You know, despite certain differences in mentality, the fact of being a small country does not allow to have significant differences, including in terms of the state and types of crime. Uniform application of penal procedures, legal tools, accumulated experience ensure that the change of workplaces does not have a significant impact on your activity. If you also have the ability to approach work with high responsibility and diligence, then in general I can’t imagine that you can face any problems in that regard.

– What should be done so that the investigator is not constrained by various requests and proposals to ensure the impartiality of the investigation?

– First of all, the investigator must realize the position he holds, the sense of responsibility for the position he holds, his status, shoulder straps, service, and most importantly, his duty to the state and the motherland. Ensuring impartiality in the proceedings under investigation is an important prerequisite for not being constrained by various requests and proposals. And you should never allow yourself to make such requests to others, so that you also have the moral inner right to refuse such requests.

– This year the Investigative Committee is celebrating its 10th anniversary and you were part of the development process of the structure. To what extent do you consider it systemically established, based on today’s realities?

– I think that it is visible to everyone what a steady course of development the Investigative Committee is in. Today, it is not only a well-established, but also a developing and expanding system. Otherwise, it would be impossible to imagine a system examining 98 percent of proceedings. I really feel a sense of inner pride to be a part of that process and I want to believe that I am investing my humble penny in the establishment of the system, thereby strengthening our statehood.

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.