Honorable Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia,
Respectable employees of the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia,

I warmly congratulate You on the occasion of the professional day of the employee of the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia and the 8^th anniversary of the formation of the system of the Investigative Committee.

This event is an opportune occasion to present the achievements recorded by the Investigative Committee within the bodies performing the function of preliminary investigation in the Republic of Armenia, to assess the main results of the work done and outline the upcoming tasks.

I consider the efficient work of the Investigative Committee and its subdivisions in the organization and conduction of pretrial proceeding an indisputable achievement. All that has been possible to achieve due to the conscientious attitude of the employees of the system, compassion and dedication to the implementation of their service duties. We would not have such a result if this practice had not been based on state mentality and understanding to carry out service duties with high responsibility. These qualities are particularly prominent in the process of organization and conduction of preliminary investigation within criminal proceedings initiated on the crimes recorded on the days of the 44-day military actions unleashed by Azerbaijan.

The Department of Investigation of Particularly Important Cases օf General Military Investigative Department of the Committee and subdivisions keep facing the objective difficulties of investigation of crimes against the order of military service committed in the conditions of martial law declared in the entire territory of the republic on hardest days of the war of 2020, as well as other crimes related to military actions. In the mentioned department of the Committee preliminary investigation on

-       targeting the civilian population of 8 peaceful settlements adjacent to Tavush marz of the Armenian-Azerbaijani contact line located deep in the back and not involved in the military actions between 12 and 17, July 2020 by systemized, deliberate and targeted attacks committed by the military-political leadership of the Republic of Azerbaijan,

-       unleashing and waging aggressive war against the Republic of Artsakh and the Republic of Armenia starting from September 27, 2020, during the military actions using mercenaries recruited in advance, using prohibited methods of waging war, targeting the civilian population of the peaceful settlements of the Republic of Artsakh by systemized, deliberate and targeted attacks and serious violations of the norms of international humanitarian law,

-  carrying out act of aggression towards the marzes of Syunik and Gegharkunik on May 12, 2021,

- carrying out act of aggression towards the military positions located in the direction of Jermuk and Ishkhanasar of Syunik marz,

-  targeting the peaceful population of Jermuk, Sotk, Goris, Kapan, Artanish, Ishkhanasar and other settlements on Armenian-Azerbaijani border by systemized, deliberate and targeted attacks between 13 and 15 September, 2022 is currently underway.

On the facts of the mentioned crimes about 150 criminal proceedings have been initiated in the department which mainly have been combined in 5 separate proceedings. Within the mentioned proceedings over 500 inspections of the scene have been conducted, the circumstances of being murdered, being captured, sustaining bodily injuries of several gravities by the servicemen and civilians caused by the acts of aggression have become a subject of detailed investigation. The obtained factual data have been operatively periodically submitted to the RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to the Office of the representative for international legal affairs, to the staff of the human rights defender and other interested bodies.

Through investigation cases of involving representatives of foreign mercenaries and international terrorist groups in the implementation of the act of aggression, as well as cases of financing international terrorism have been found out. Through investigation about 300 mercenaries involved in the military actions committed by Azerbaijan during the 44 -day war have been identified. The factual data obtained through investigation have been submitted to several bodies engaged in the prevention of international terrorism.

In the subdivisions of General Military Investigative Department about 1600 criminal proceedings on about 12600 persons have been initiated on the facts of crimes against the order of military service as well as other crimes related to military actions. Within the mentioned criminal proceedings 883 persons have been involved as a defendant, among them 78 officers 17 of which high-ranking, 150 contract servicemen, 491 reservists, 36 compulsory military servicemen and 128 civilians. Preliminary investigation of 152 of the mentioned criminal proceedings has been completed, among them 23 on 29 persons have been sent to court with the bill of indictment. Within the criminal proceedings large-scale investigative and other procedural actions have been conducted, inspections of the scene have been conducted, over 17.000 persons have been questioned, decisions on finding victim as well as successor of the victim have been made, samples have been taken for comparative examination, several examinations, among them forensic medical, forensic medical examination of the body, forensic ballistic, forensic genetic and other examinations have been commissioned, searches have been conducted, large-scale documents and videos have been confiscated and examined.

Currently the cases related to the military actions have been combined in the subdivisions of General Military Investigative Department of the Committee and are being investigated in 130 separate proceedings.

It should be mentioned that the criminal proceedings on crimes against the order of military service committed during the 44 –day war by the officers, as well as other crimes related to military actions have been focused in the Department of Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of General Military Investigative Department which have been combined according to their directions, separate operations, cases on failure to organize the protection of important towns. Within the mentioned criminal proceedings large-scale and important factual data have been obtained which are currently being assessed and become bases for initiation of criminal prosecutions. Large-scale investigative and procedural actions are being conducted within the mentioned cases.

Honorable Prime Minister,
Dear attendees,

Referring to the main results of the work of the first term of this year done by the subdivisions of the Committee conducting pretrial proceeding, I must state that the investigative bodies have worked with unprecedented overload. It is enough to mention that about 93% (or 27.482 proceedings) of about 30.000 proceedings, investigated in the first term of 2022 by the investigative bodies empowered to conduct preliminary investigation in the republic, has been investigated by the investigators of the subdivisions of the Investigative Committee. The number of the proceedings investigated by the officers of the Committee has increased with 20.2% as compared with the same period of the previous year, the average workload of one investigator has increased making 58 proceedings instead of 47 proceeding in the same period of the previous year. During the 8 months of this year the subdivisions of the Committee have conducted preliminary investigation within 38.834 criminal proceedings.

Dear collogues,

The main guarantee of the efficient activity of the Committee has been and is the professional personnel of the system, our investigators carrying out their service duties with the high sense of responsibility. Our goal to replenish the ranks of the Committee with high-quality personnel remains unchanged. The provision of fluent application of the new criminal code and criminal procedure code requires long and hard work during which our priorities should be the provision of investigators with procedural autonomy and independence, using their legislative power to the full extent to serve the legitimate interests of the preliminary investigation. It is necessary to attach special importance to the consistent improvement of the professional preparedness level of the system officers, implementation of daily duties of the investigators in accordance with the letter and spirit of the law. In this context it is necessary to state that large-scale work has been done in the quality improvement of the organization and results of written and oral examinations of those subject to be involved in the list of candidates of persons holding autonomous position. A new mechanism has been introduced and by the order of the Chairman of the Investigative Committee has been confirmed, pursuant to which the person to be promoted must pass an examination that verifies professional knowledge; what has been said refers also to persons aspiring to some positions of the main and highest groups. It is remarkable that the mentioned procedure is accompanied with video-recording, as well.

The fact that the next stage of the certification process of persons, occupying autonomous positions of the Committee, has started recently is also worth mentioning. The qualification commission has done a huge preparatory work to properly hold the examination of professional knowledge of the system officers within the new legal regulations. I expect the adequate and responsible attitude of the qualification commission, as well as the officers of the Committee to this procedure. It is not a secret that the proper implementation of professional functions of the investigators in competitive proceedings, the protection of the rights, freedoms and legal interests of the parties of the criminal proceeding are the most important guarantees of provision of efficiency of preliminary investigation. So, the certification process must be used as much as possible to deepen the understanding of the provisions of the new legislation and to improve the skills to use them in practice.

I also consider it necessary to inform that significant work has been done in the Committee to improve the working conditions of the employees of the Committee.

We should state with gratitude that the Division of Investigation of Traffic Crimes and the Investigative Division of Ajapnyak and Davtashen administrative districts of Yerevan Investigative Department, the Investigative Division of Stepanavan of the Regional Investigative Department of Lori as well as the 6^th Garrison Investigative Unit of General Military Investigative Department of the RA Investigative Committee will soon organize their work in new administrative buildings provided with the support of the RA Government.

Moreover, in the near future the newly repaired buildings of the Regional Investigative Department of Armavir and the Investigative Division of Vagharshapat of the RA Investigative Committee equipped with the necessary property and technical means will be put into operation.

Finishing my speech I want to state that the Investigative Committee is firmly standing in the rooting positions of principles of the establishment of legitimacy, strengthening of the legal system, equality before the law in our country. On behalf of the Committee I assure you that we will continue to do our best to live up to the expectations to consistently make the work of the Committee more efficient and determined.

Dear investigators – dedicated officers of the system,

I thank you for your efficient work, dedication to your profession and honorable attitude to your service duties. I consider our joint service a great honor and responsibility. Once again I congratulate all of us on the occasion of the professional holiday, wish health, endurance, service success and may God protect us all.