Active investigatory and other procedural actions are ongoing in General Department of Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the RA Investigative Committee to find out all circumstances of illegal adoption of children.

In the result of investigatory and other procedural actions of great volume conducted during preliminary investigation data were obtained that from November 29, 2005 money was transferred from companies accredited abroad and engaged in intercountry adoption, their employees as well as directly from those having applied for adoption to the person carrying out the functions of the representative of the mentioned companies in the Republic of Armenia. And from June, 2007 the mentioned companies started their activity at the area of the Republic of Armenia.

Pursuant to data obtained during investigation, in the process of intercountry adoptions a criminal group was created and controlled for the sale of children of RA citizenship for the purpose of taking up care by foreign citizens.

In order to get to the destination of criminal cooperation; that is to carry out intercountry adoption of as many children as possible by foreign citizens and as a result not to ensure the best interests of the child but to get “unjustified financial or other income” forbidden by law and the Article 32 of UN Convention “On Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption” employees of maternity hospitals operating in Armenia, RA Ministry of Justice, RA Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, orphanages subordinate to it, local government bodies, RA Government and state and other bodies adjacent to it, as well as persons in close relations with the group members doing translations, providing other services in the process of adoptions were involved in the group.

Pursuant to investigation data, in the process of adoption of children by foreign citizens some of the group members actually carried out functions of a representative of foreign companies, some of them provided them with services for which from 2005 to 2019 more than 1.800.000 Euros and 26.000 USD was paid to their bank accounts by the above-mentioned companies, their employees, as well as directly by those having applied for adoption in the process of adoption of at least 114 children. And starting from 2007 data of foreign parents ªdopting children were mentioned as a goal for transferring money from abroad.

It was found out that those carrying out functions of representatives of foreign companies received money for each adoption the amount of which was significantly more than the amount necessary for expenses for child adoption at the RA area. As a result, those involved in the process received unjustified income.

The RA Central body, being obliged to establish control over financial flows and their transparency, has not taken any measures for years to prevent unjustified financial or other income, as well as any practice contradictory to the purposes of the Convention thus creating appropriate conditions for adoption of Armenian children by foreign citizens for the members of the criminal group to get financial income.  

Through investigation data were obtained that the employees of maternity hospitals operating at the RA area created conditions for children’s biological parents to give up their children in confusion or under threat, the officials of various competent state and local self-government bodies of the RA involved in the group, abusing their official position, contributed to implementation of adoption process without any obstacles in some cases even forging documents and submitting documents with fake data to relevant bodies.

At the same time, through investigation data were obtained that the person carrying out functions of the representative of companies accredited abroad and operating in Armenia in the process of children’s adoption by foreign citizens from 2010 to 2019 received more than 1.290.000 Euros on the bank account from the above-mentioned companies as well as directly from those having applied for adoption formulating as expenses necessary in the process of adoption.

Then in order to conceal the criminal origin of the mentioned amount, he transferred more than 430.000 Euros to several persons for several purposes and more than 402.000 Euros was cashed by him; the purpose of most part was mentioned – for personal needs. In the same process another Armenian citizen in close relations with the mentioned person received more than 55.000 Euros from the above-mentioned Italian organizations which was formulated as expenses necessary in the process of adoption. He also entered money in several amounts to the mentioned account. Then in order to conceal the criminal origin of the mentioned money the above-mentioned person transferred more than 73.000 Euros to another person as well as made personal payments.

As a result, converting and transferring the funds received in the process of intercountry adoption he legalized the property received in a criminal way laundering the mentioned funds.

A criminal case was initiated in General Department of Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the RA Investigative Committee on the above-mentioned apparent crimes according to the Point 2 of the Part 2 of the Article 168 (child’s sale for the purpose of taking up care which was committed against two or more children), the Point 1 of the Part 3 of the Article 190 (legalizing illegally obtained income (money laundering), committed in particularly large amount), the Parts 1, 2 and the Point 1 of the Part 3 of the Article 223 (creation of criminal associations or participation in criminal association committed by abusing official position) and a decision was made to combine the mentioned criminal case to the criminal case initiated on disclosing the secret of adoption, inducing to consent to adoption, child’s sale for the purpose of taking up care, giving commercial bribe, abusing authorities by employees of commercial or other organizations, exceeding official authorities and to conduct preliminary investigation in one proceeding.

Preliminary investigation is ongoing.


Note; Everyone charged with alleged crime offence shall be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law.