Armenian court upholds acquittal of opposition MP's father

An Armenian court ruling acquitting the father of opposition MP and ARF Armenia leader Ishkhan Saghatelyan has entered into force after the country’s highest court declined to review the case.

Lawyer Yervand Varosyan said on Wednesday that the Court of Cassation refused to admit a prosecutor’s appeal, leaving in place the earlier acquittal of Vachik Saghatelyan, who served as head of the Geghamavan community in Gegharkunik Province from 2016 to 2020.

Saghatelyan had been charged with official negligence following a criminal investigation that began in 2020 into his conduct while in office. The case was later sent to court.

According to Varosyan, the trial court found the charges unsubstantiated and issued an acquittal. A subsequent appeal by prosecutors was rejected by a higher court, and the Cassation Court has now declined to examine the case further.

“With this decision, a baseless criminal case that had been under investigation since 2020 finally came to an end,” Varosyan said in a statement.

He argued that the investigation had consumed state resources for six years and unfairly damaged the reputation of those involved.