The 2nd criminal case against Kamo Areyan, adviser to the mayor of Yerevan, was sent to the court. the ban on not being absent was chosen as a preventive measure against him. As we learn from the “Datalex” information system, on August 4, the criminal case against Areyan and the former employee of the municipality, Naira Ter-Stepanyan, was assigned to the judge of the Anti-Corruption Court, Tigran Davtyan.

According to the accusation, Areyan, occupying the position of the 1st Deputy Mayor of Yerevan in 2003-2009, assisted the transfer of official powers by Yerevan Mayor Yervand Zakharyan, as a result of which “Special School for Orphans, Children Deprived of Parental Care” SNOC was deprived of the land provided to the school for free use.

As a result of this, severe consequences for the Republic of Armenia have inadvertently arisen: the Republic of Armenia has been deprived of the right of ownership of a plot of land with a market value of 105 million drams.

To remind, on July 21, the Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Armenia initiated a public criminal prosecution against Kamo Areyan, the adviser to the Mayor of Yerevan. Within the framework of the same criminal proceedings, on April 23, 2026, the prosecutor initiated a public criminal prosecution also against the former mayor of Yerevan, Yervand Zakharyan (abuse of official powers, which carelessly caused serious consequences).

On July 28, it became known that the criminal case against him was entered in the court and was signed to the judge of the RA Anti-Corruption Court, Sargis Petrosyan.

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Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan crosses all the red lines, exceeding the limits of his powers.

During the past eight years, Pashinyan has violated hundreds of laws and many provisions of the Constitution. Meanwhile, a large number of Armenians ended up behind bars not because of crimes, but simply because of disagreement with him. a fundamental right that should be guaranteed to every citizen in a democratic country.

Pashinyan clarified that the laws do not apply to him. He smugly boasted that he could break any law and no judge could stop him.

Since seizing power in 2018, Pashinyan has viciously attacked the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church and its spiritual leaders. Despite his unchristian behavior, he often quotes Scripture to mislead his gullible followers. According to the Bible (Matthew 4:5-7, Luke 4:9-12, Psalm 91:11-12), the devil also, referring to the Scriptures, urged Jesus to throw himself from the tower of the temple, assuring him that the angels would save him. Jesus responded by quoting Deuteronomy 6:16. “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”

Although baseless rumors about Katholykos having a child have been circulating for a long time, Pashinyan, who waited seven years after coming to power, exploited the rumor only when his narrow political interests demanded it. For more than a year, he has been abusing his official position, trying to overthrow the Catholicos of All Armenians, Karekin II.

Pashinyan made public appeals, issued personal threats and even used obscene language on his Facebook page in order to force the Catholicos to resign. After the failure of all these attempts, he even resorted to blackmailing 10 high-ranking clerics in order to win them over to his side and turn him against the Catholicos. Under the guise of “reforming” the Church, he formed a “citizen committee” to dethrone the Catholicos. It is simply absurd that someone who is extremely incompetent in governing the country is trying to interfere in the internal affairs of the Church and decide who will be the next Catholicos. It does not concern him at all.

Naturally, all this is a gross violation of the Constitution of Armenia, which stipulates the separation of the state and the church. However, Pashinyan persistently tries to impose his will by establishing an authoritarian one-man rule. In early January, when Catholicos Garegin II and a committee of six bishops deposed Bishop Gevorg Saroyan, leader of the Masyatsotn Diocese, Pashinyan urged him to reject the church’s internal decision and go to court. Then, on January 27, the church administration declared him disorganized.

The court illegally ordered the Catholicos not to depose Saroyan and forbade Garegin II to leave the country, depriving him and the six bishops of the Supreme Spiritual Council of the opportunity to participate in the most important episcopal meeting in Austria. Despite this, the meeting was held, and 25 bishops from around the world expressed their support to the Catholicos of All Armenians, condemning Pashinyan’s government’s prosecution of the Church.

The preliminary session of the trial of the Catholicos and the other six bishops is scheduled for August 7, at 16:00, at the Vagharshapat (Echmiadzin) court. This is an unprecedented phenomenon, when a criminal prosecution is carried out against the Catholicos of All Armenians in the independent Republic of Armenia. During the centuries of rule, neither the Ottoman Empire nor Tsarist Russia ever put any Catholicos on trial. The only exception was the assassination of Khoren I the Catholicos, who was strangled to death by the agents of the Soviet secret services on April 6, 1938.

Taking the Catholicos of All Armenians to court is a clear illegality and gross abuse of authority by Pashinyan’s government. For more than 1,700 years, Armenians around the world have been boasting that Armenia was the first state to adopt Christianity. However, their own government now treats the church leadership as criminals.

The only good news is the statement of Catholicos Garegin II that he will not resign even if he is arrested and imprisoned. He will continue to serve as a legitimate Catholicos even in prison.

During the last eight years, Pashinyan’s government has implemented a number of unprecedented anti-church steps.

– In 2018, it canceled the diplomatic passports of the clergy.

– Removed the subject “History of the Armenian Church” from the curriculum of public schools.

– In 2024, he stopped the service of chaplains in penitentiary institutions.

– Terminated the service of clergy in the Armed Forces.

– He plans to confiscate all the buildings and property of the church.

– The security forces conducted a search in the area of ​​St. Etchmiadzin to arrest the archbishop.

– Arrested and detained several high-ranking clergymen on false charges.

– Violating the regulations of the National Assembly, the authorities did not allow the Catholicos to say a word of blessing at the opening of the session on August 2, 2026.

– Collected hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes and fines from the Church for the purchase of candles by believers, despite the fact that the Church is a non-profit organization and those who buy candles are actually making a donation.

Judge Hakob Manukyan is obliged to drop the charges against the Catholicos and six bishops on August 7, so as not to become an accomplice of Pashinyan’s crimes. Otherwise, Judge Manukyan will become an object of international ridicule when the European Court of Human Rights finally records that his verdict violated the Constitution of Armenia.

Meanwhile, the Armenians of both Armenia and the Diaspora should wake up from the long-term stupor and raise their voice of protest. If they continue to be silent even after the arrest and imprisonment of the Catholicos, then they do not deserve to have either the Church or the Motherland.

Harut Sassounyan
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com

Translation by Ruzanna Avagyan

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During the inspection carried out by the food safety inspection body in the public food facility belonging to “Bonost” SP company (Yerevan, Saryan 16, year: 79, “Ost. Wine and Food”), sampling of the available foods was performed. This is reported by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

Laboratory research revealed that dangerous food is produced. The samples of “Tolma” and “Khinkali” products did not meet the requirements of the technical regulations of the Customs Union “On Food Safety” with the index of mesophilic aerobic and facultative anaerobic bacteria (MAFAnMK).

According to the decision of the head of the inspection body, the separate function of the production activity of the public food facility, the production of “tolma” and “khinkali” products, was suspended.

A deadline has been set for eliminating the detected violations.

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On August 5, the issue of extending the validity period of the thermal energy production license granted to Gazprom Armenia CJSC at the Hrazdan-5 station was discussed at the meeting headed by Mesrop Mesropyan, the chairman of the Public Services Regulatory Commission. This is reported by the PSC.

The application submitted by the company was studied by the relevant departments of the commission in the prescribed manner. There were no objections to the application, so the draft decision discussed at the meeting was adopted unanimously.

According to the Commission’s decision, the term of validity of the thermal energy production license granted to “Gazprom Armenia” CJSC was extended until August 13, 2027.

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in 2026 In September, 10,958 first-year students will start their studies in the state and non-state universities of Armenia with the existing education in bachelor’s and continuous and integrated educational programs. In 2026, the public education system had 22,205 graduates. 49.35% of the total number of graduates were admitted to university.

The applicants admitted to the university in the main and additional stages of the competition occupied 86.15% of the total 12,720 places allocated for the year 2026-2027.

96.3% of those accepted will study in state and 3.7% in non-state universities.

According to preliminary data, Yerevan State University, Armenia State University of Economics, National Polytechnic University of Armenia have the largest number of admitted applicants in the main and additional stages of admission.

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“Multi Wellness” company filed a lawsuit against the Yerevan Municipality, demanding to invalidate the municipality’s decision to withdraw from the land development right contract and to restore the company’s state registration, we learn from the “Datalex” judicial information system.

According to the documents of the court case, the company requests the court to invalidate the agreement of the mayor of Yerevan dated June 8, 2026, by which the Yerevan community refused the contract for the granting of development rights signed with “Multi Group” Concern LLC on October 10, 2016.

The petitioner also demands to apply the consequences of invalidity, canceling the state registrations made by the RA Cadastre Committee on July 14, 2026.

With them, the company’s development right to the real estate at Khanjyan 22 in Yerevan city was terminated and the ownership right of the community was registered.

The company demands to restore the state registration of its development right.

The claim was submitted to the court on August 3, and on August 4 the case was assigned to judge Arshak Petrosyan.

On July 16, it became known that the building of the “Multi Wellness” gym owned by the Tsarukyans was transferred to the municipality. According to the municipality, the building in the “Ringed” park was built with violations.

“Multi Wellness” resort complex reopened on July 31 with a new name: Yerevan Wellness.

During the campaign in May, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan publicly threatened to impeach opposition figure Gagik Tsarukyan.

On July 6, law enforcement officers searched the private house of the leader of the “Prosperous Armenia” party Gagik Tsarukyan and a number of businesses belonging to him, after which Tsarukyan was arrested. A number of enterprises owned by him were sold.

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The main department of the investigation of economic crimes and smuggling of the RA Investigative Committee is investigating the criminal proceedings initiated by Gagik Tsarukyan and other persons in connection with the apparent cases of fraudulent theft and money laundering of properties and funds worth 8 billion 126 million 946 thousand 460 AMD equivalent to 21 million 72 thousand 827 USD. This is reported by the Central Committee.

“On the basis of the obtained sufficient evidence, a public criminal prosecution was initiated against the former general director of the concern, the chairman of the board of directors S.A. and the director of the company A.D., under Article 46-255, Part 3, Clause 3 of the Criminal Code (supporting especially large-scale fraud) and Article 46-296, Part 3, Clause 3 (especially large amounts of money assisting with washing).

On August 5, 2026, on the basis of decisions made by the body implementing the proceedings, SA and AD were arrested for the purpose of being brought to court.

The investigation is ongoing,” the message says.

According to our information, it is about the former general director of the “Multi Group” concern Sedrak Arustamyan and director Artur Dallakyan.

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Recently, frauds regarding apartment rentals have become active in social networks. The Cyber ​​Police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs informs that criminals publish fake advertisements on social networks with attractive photos and significantly lower prices than the market. After being interested in the announcement, they demand an immediate advance payment in order to “reserve” it, arguing that there is a lot of interest in the apartment.

As a result, after receiving the money, they stop the connection, block you or delete their page.

How to protect yourself?

• Never transfer an advance payment until you have seen the apartment in person and made sure that you are dealing with the real owner or an authorized representative of the real estate agency.
• If the offer seems too profitable, there is a high probability that it is a scam.
• Make any payment only after signing the written contract.
• Verify the account that posted the ad: Recently created, inactive or suspicious pages can be used for fraud purposes.
• If possible, make sure that photos of the apartment have not been used in other advertisements or websites.

If you suspect that you have become a victim of fraud, the cyber police advise you to contact your bank as soon as possible, save all message history, transfer receipts and other data related to the incident, and immediately inform the police.

“Be alert and carefully check the authenticity of the offer before making any payment,” the police say.

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