Preliminary investigation of the criminal proceeding regarding coercion to refrain from giving testimony or to give false testimony through threats of violence against a participant in the proceeding, during the trial of a criminal case examined in the Criminal Court of General Jurisdiction of First Instance of Yerevan, was completed in the Department for Investigation of Crimes against Property of the RA Investigative Committee. 

Through preliminary investigation factual data were obtained on the allegation that on March 6, 2026, A.H., a resident of Masis town, attended a court hearing in a criminal case being examined by the Criminal Court of General Jurisdiction of First Instance of Yerevan concerning the brother of his close associate, D.H., the former mayor of Masis, and other individuals. Learning that H.K., a defendant in the same case, had provided incriminating testimony during the preliminary investigation regarding A.H.’s close associate, G.H., on March 7, A.H. called H.K. and, by making credible threats of violence and of causing damage to his life and health, demanded and coerced him to retract his pre-trial testimony in court and to give testimony that would lead to G.H.’s release from detention.

Public criminal prosecution was initiated against A.H. according to the Part 1 of the Article 495 of RA Criminal Code.

The criminal proceeding with the bill of indictment was referred to the supervising prosecutor.