Three Individuals Charged in Criminal Case Regarding Illegal Adoption of Children

The investigation continues in the Criminal Investigation Department of the Armenian Investigative Committee concerning the criminal cases of illegal adoption of children by foreigners. Three individuals have been charged in relation to this case. This information was provided by the Public Relations Department of the Investigative Committee of Armenia.

As previously reported, on November 18, 2019, the Armenian Investigative Committee accepted a case regarding the sale of children for the purpose of assuming guardianship, disclosing the secret of adoption, influencing the provision of consent for adoption, giving commercial bribes, abusing powers by officials of commercial or other organizations, and other related offenses initiated in the National Security Service’s Investigative Department.

Following extensive investigative actions during the pre-trial phase, several circumstances have been clarified. Based on the sufficient evidence obtained, the director of the “Institute of Reproductive Health, Perinatology, Obstetrics, and Gynecology” LLC has been charged under the first, second, and third points of part 2 of Article 167 and part 3 of Article 200 of the Armenian Criminal Code. The director of the “Yerevan Children's Home” State Non-Commercial Organization has been charged under the second and third points of part 2 of Article 167 and part 1 of Article 314, while a resident of Yerevan born in 1976 has been charged under the first and second points of part 2 of Article 167.

The investigator has submitted a request to the court for pre-trial detention as a measure of restraint for these individuals. Information about the factual data clarified during the investigation is not publicly disclosed at this phase, based on the interests of the pre-trial investigation.

Updates on procedural decisions regarding the criminal case will be provided periodically.

Notification: The suspect or accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty in accordance with the procedure established by the Armenian Criminal Procedure Code by a legally enforceable court verdict.