Tigran Khachatryan held hostage in Russia for 8 months, lawyers warn

For more than 8 months, Armenian citizen and businessman Tigran Khachatryan has been detained in the Russian Federation without any evidence, his defense team said in a statement on Tuesday.

In criminal case No. 12402450016000096, Tigran Khachatryan has been charged with preparing the murder of his daughter Marina Khachatryan's former husband Garegin Muradyan and his father Aram Muradyan.

Facts of the Case

On July 3, 2024, Tigran Khachatryan arrived in Moscow and stayed at one of the city's hotels. On the night of July 17-18, officers from the Criminal Investigation Department of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs took him into custody and arrested him the same day.

Several significant contradictions have been revealed during the investigation of the case.

1. Absence of Evidence։ The criminal case is entirely based on the testimonies of two "secret" witnesses whose identities are known to the Khachatryan family. During more than 8 months of detention, the Russian investigator has not presented any audio recordings, videos, or other objective evidence to Tigran Khachatryan, his defenders, or the court that imposed the detention.

2. Logical Inconsistencies: According to the criminal case, Tigran Khachatryan allegedly had criminal intent in Yerevan and for this purpose involved another person. However, as Marina Khachatryan states, she divorced her former husband 10 years ago, has had no contact during this time, and there has been no conflict that could have served as a motive.

3. Extraordinary Procedural Decisions։ The secret witness, allegedly receiving the murder order in Yerevan, instead of approaching Armenian law enforcement, traveled to the Russian Federation and reported it there. Additionally, according to the charges, from December 2023 to July 17, 2024, operational measures were implemented against Tigran Khachatryan, but during this time no objective evidence was collected.

Criminal Case on Extortion Initiated in the Republic of Armenia

Immediately after Tigran Khachatryan's arrest, a group of individuals who allegedly organized the illegal criminal prosecution began extorting especially large sums of money from his family members living in Yerevan, promising to facilitate Tigran Khachatryan's release.

The Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia responded to this situation by initiating criminal proceedings No. 15-0756-24, within which Tigran Khachatryan and two of his family members have been recognized as victims.
Ineffective Cooperation

Despite the initiation of a criminal case with signs of extortion, the investigation in Armenia has not progressed for months. As the defense team notes, the law enforcement bodies of Armenia and Russia have not established proper cooperation, as a result of which an obviously innocent person continues to remain in hostage status.
Demands of the Defense Team

Referring to the demands previously presented by Tigran Khachatryan's lawyers, Tigran Khachatryan's defense team calls on:

1. The competent authorities of the Republic of Armenia to

• activate operational and investigative actions on the extortion case,
• form a team of investigators to study Tigran Khachatryan's case in the Russian Federation,
• ensure the protection of the rights of the RA citizen as established by RA legislation and international treaties.

2. The competent authorities of the Russian Federation to

• review criminal case No. 2402450016000096 by transferring it to another investigative body,
• ensure proper collection and evaluation of evidence,
• examine the validity of the testimonies of the "secret" witnesses.

Tigran Khachatryan's daughter Marina Khachatryan notes: "My father has never had a criminal past, has never been involved in criminal stories. He has only been involved as a witness in one criminal case, which was a very well-known criminal case. This transnational criminal group has a connection with one of the culprits in that case, about whom my father testified."

Tigran Khachatryan's defense team believes that in this situation, effective cooperation between the law enforcement bodies of Armenia and the Russian Federation is necessary to reveal the truth and release an innocent person.