Honorable Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia,
Esteemed President of Constitutional Court,
Esteemed members of the legislative and executive branches,
Esteemed colleagues of the judicial system,
Dear employees of the Investigative Committee and veterans of the system,

The year 2024 is a jubilee year for the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia, the system is solemnly celebrating the 10th anniversary of its establishment - years during which the structure has gone through a unique period of development and recorded successes.

In the years following the declaration of independence, processes aimed at implementing judicial and legal reforms began in our country, with the goal of establishing a state based on the rule of law. In order to achieve this goal, many difficulties have been overcome in recent years, and significant reforms have been carried out in the judicial and legal system, creating a solid foundation for aligning this sector with the requirements of the rule of law in our country.

Let me to briefly present the historical and political preconditions for the formation of the Committee and the main facts and achievements of its 10-year journey.

At the time of the adoption of the Constitution of Armenia in 1995, the Criminal Procedure Code of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR) from 1961 was in force in the country. It granted pre-trial powers to investigators from the Prosecutor's Office, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the National Security bodies. In 1998 a new Criminal Procedure Code was adopted which legislatively formalized the same system of bodies responsible for pre-trial proceedings.

Years later, in 2005, constitutional amendments eliminated the pre-trial functions of the Prosecutor's Office, transferring them to the investigative units of the Police, the Ministry of Defense, and the customs and tax authorities.

Subsequently, until 2014, the structure of pre-trial bodies and the scope of their powers did not undergo significant changes.

However, the analysis of the practice of pre-trial proceedings showed that the concentration of pre-trial powers within the executive bodies, in some cases, led to the serving of departmental interests, which inevitably affected the impartiality of pre-trial investigation.

These circumstances made it inevitable to remove the pre-trial investigation from departmental subordination and create an independent pre-trial body.

The solution did not take long: a commission was established to ensure the legal framework for the formation of a unified investigative body, which developed and, on May 19, 2014, adopted the Law “On the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia”. This law provided comprehensive legal regulation for the activities of the newly established body, including the procedure and conditions for joining the service, as well as the rights and duties of its employees.

In fact, the Investigative Committee was formed based on the investigative units of the Police and the Ministry of Defense. The conceptual goal of forming a unified investigative body could not be considered fully realized with this alone. Alongside the development and adoption of the new Criminal Procedure Code, the Parliament also began the process of transferring the functions of the investigative units of the State Revenue Committee and the National Security Service to the Investigative Committee. On June 30, 2021, the new Code was adopted, and the day before, the Parliament made amendments to the Law “Օn National Security Bodies”, the Law “Օn Tax Service”, and the Law “On Customs Service”, under which, as of January 1, 2023, and the current year, respectively, investigators from the tax, customs systems, and national security bodies were transferred to the system of the Investigative Committee. In addition, by virtue of the provisions of the procedural code, the inquest function was abolished, and the positions of investigators were also transferred to the system of the Committee. Subsequently, within the structure of the Committee, the General Department for Investigation of Economic Crimes and Smuggling of the RA Investigative Committee and General Department for Investigation of Crimes against the State, Fundamentals of the Constitutional Order and Public Security were established, each with its own structure and staffing units.

The ongoing processes were fully aligned with the strategic goal of removing pre-trial bodies from the executive branch. It is important to emphasize that the realization of this goal became possible only in recent years, as a result of the unprecedented democratic reform processes unfolding in our country.

Time shows that the concept of a unified investigative body contributes to the unification of the principles and methods of organizing and conducting pre-trial investigations, the improvement of the structure of the investigative apparatus, and, as a result, the increased level of activity coordination among investigative units; factors that provide reliable guarantees for enhancing the effectiveness of the pre-trial investigation.

As a result of the reforms in the system of pre-trial bodies, today, the two functioning pre-trial institutions in the republic - the Investigative Committee and the Anti-Corruption Committee are carrying out consistent work to organize and conduct pre-trial proceedings in accordance with new procedural regulations.

Honorable Prime Minister
Deer attendees,

Referring to the social guarantees of today's investigator, I must note with gratitude that it has been more than a year since the legislative change initiated by the Government almost doubled the remuneration of employees of the system, and the pension of employees of the Investigative Committee has also increased sharply and the retirement age has been reduced. As a result, the attractiveness of service in the Committee has significantly increased.

The number of applicants for employment with the Investigative Committee has doubled recently, which in turn has provided an opportunity to introduce higher standards for testing and evaluating the theoretical knowledge and practical skills of those wishing to enter the system, as well as their psychological and moral qualities.

The establishment of “Expert Criminalistics Center of the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia” SNCO, by the Government’s decision adopted in May of this year, was also aimed at increasing the efficiency of the activities of the Investigative Committee. It will make it possible to increase the effectiveness of forensic assistance provided during the conduction of evidentiary and other procedural actions by investigators, as well as ensure faster conduction of the preliminary investigation.

Let me also touch on the goals and visions of the Investigative Committee for the future. I consider the highest goal of the Investigative Committee to be the provision of more effective services to the citizens of the Republic of Armenia. Every person who turns to the law enforcement system, expressing trust in the state, should receive prompt and quality services from that system. Persons with legally protected interests within criminal proceedings should not be disappointed.

Our vision for the future of the Investigative Committee is to ensure faster preliminary investigation with higher quality. How can we conduct a faster and more effective preliminary investigation - by having qualified personnel? This is our priority. We must do everything to recruit qualified personnel to the Investigative Committee, and we must continuously increase the attractiveness of our structure.

Deer attendees,

The Investigative Committee is entering the second decade of its history as a system that has embarked on a path of development and improvement. This achievement has been possible thanks to the dedicated and honorable work of the system's devotees. On this festive day, I would like to express my warm words of gratitude and appreciation to You, Mr. Prime Minister, for Your great contribution to the development of the Investigative Committee, to the individuals who have made an undeniable contribution to the creation and establishment of the Committee, to the veterans of the system, and, of course, to the dignified servants who build the authority and good reputation of the structure with their daily work, emphasizing the contribution of everyone to the establishment of the Committee and the formation of good work traditions in the system.

I congratulate all of us on the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia, and wish you good health, happiness, endurance, and impeccable service for further strengthening of our statehood and the secure future of our country.

May God protect our sovereign statehood and long live the Republic of Armenia!