The legal defense team of former Chairman of Armenia’s State Revenue Committee (SRC), Vardan Harutyunyan, has declared that the ongoing criminal prosecution against him is “entirely baseless and unlawful.”
In a statement, the team criticized the revival of previously dismissed charges, saying it is legally impermissible to reopen a case that was already closed by an investigator’s decision, with legal force, and based on evidence previously evaluated. The defense emphasized that bringing new charges and detaining Harutyunyan under such conditions contradicts legal standards.
They also referenced a 2018 comprehensive investigation into the company Norfolk Consulting, which, they say, confirmed Harutyunyan had no connection to the entity.
“Nonetheless, seven years later, the same facts and evidence are being presented with a contradictory interpretation, blatantly violating the principle of ‘non bis in idem’—the right not to be tried twice for the same offense,” the statement said. The defense described this as a severe breach of fundamental legal and fair trial principles, claiming it sets a dangerous precedent of legal nihilism with implications for the entire judicial system.
The defense further argued that Harutyunyan’s detention lacks valid legal grounds. They criticized the court’s claim that Harutyunyan might obstruct the investigation in a case that has been publicly debated and closed for seven years. “Such an assertion is not only implausible but legally absurd,” the team stated, adding that the notion of increased risk over time is irrational and cannot justify extreme pre-trial measures like detention.
“This is not justice,” the lawyers concluded, “but a deliberate distortion of legal processes aimed solely at keeping our client in custody as long as possible.” They added that Harutyunyan believes he is being “punished” for his principled and straightforward stance.
The defense team announced that an appeal against the court’s decision is being finalized and will be filed in the coming days.
On August 8, Vardan Harutyunyan was arrested on charges of unlawful entrepreneurial activity, anti-competitive practices, and money laundering. On the same day, a court ordered his two-month pre-trial detention. The charges relate to the “Norfolk” company. Harutyunyan served as head of the SRC from 2016 to 2018.
