Preliminary investigation of the criminal proceeding initiated with regard to committing extortion in the amount of 10 thousand USD in a penitentiary and being involved in a group carrying criminal subculture was completed in General Department for Investigation of Economic Crimes and Smuggling of the RA Investigative Committee.

In the course of the preliminary investigation factual data were obtained on the allegation that A.A., who was serving a sentence at “Armavir” Penitentiary of the RA Ministry of Justice, during the period from June to October 2024, having reached a prior criminal agreement with H.D., who was also serving a sentence at the same penitentiary, and with the intent to instill fear and anxiety in another inmate, E.T., and to compel him to comply with the property-related demands made of him, presented himself as a person who independently resolved all disputes and issues arising among inmates. Thereafter, complementing each other's actions, they demanded that E.T. provide money in fulfillment of the objectives of a criminal subculture group: they demanded money from him under the threat of violence with a knife and, during the same period, received from him, in installments, a large amount of money, totaling approximately the equivalent of 10 thousand USD.

In the course of the preliminary investigation, by the supervising prosecutor’s decision, public criminal prosecution was initiated against A.A. and H.D. according to the Points 6, 8, 10 of the Part 2 of the Article 258 and the Point 1 of the Part 3 of the Article 324 of RA Criminal Code. 

Detention was applied as a pretrial measure against them.

The criminal proceeding with the bill of indictment was referred to the supervising prosecutor for approval and referral to court.