The legal team of Vardan Harutyunyan, former chairman of the State Revenue Committee (SRC), announced that within 15 days it will file an appeal with the Court of Cassation against the September 1 decision of the Anti-Corruption Court of Appeal, which rejected his complaint over detention under presiding judge Karen Amiryan, Aysor.am reports.
Defense lawyer Armen Andrikyan stated that if the issue is not resolved within Armenia’s judicial system, they will apply to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
According to him, the case resembles a “legal farce,” since Harutyunyan was unlawfully detained in connection with a case that had been closed seven years ago. He stressed that during the earlier proceedings, Harutyunyan’s alleged ties to Norfolk Consulting had already been refuted.
“No new evidence has emerged over the years. Why the Prosecutor General decided to reopen this case without new circumstances is unclear. The official explanation is that certain investigative actions were not carried out during the previous inquiry. But this is absurd. By that logic, any closed case could be arbitrarily reopened years later. Where are the state’s guarantees to its citizens then?” Andrikyan said.
Vardan Harutyunyan was arrested on August 8, 2025, in connection with a case investigated and closed seven years earlier. His defense claims the persecution of him and his family began after he publicly expressed support for businessman Samvel Karapetyan.
