In the case of Tsarukyan’s son-in-law, the Investigative Committee violated privacy provisions: Ruben Melikyan

Human rights advocate Ruben Melikyan claims that the information published by the Investigative Committee regarding the case of Argam Abrahamyan, son-in-law of Prosperous Armenia party leader Gagik Tsarukyan, grossly violates privacy protections enshrined in Armenia’s Constitution and international treaties.

The human rights advocate believes the Investigative Committee’s publication of personal data about Argam Abrahamyan is driven by two factors.

“First, this is unambiguously a manifestation of state terror against Gagik Tsarukyan by Pashinyan. As part of this terror, steps have been taken to restrict his right to freedom and deprive him of his property rights. Now personal information is being published that casts doubt on the conduct of members of the Tsarukyan family.

Second, the so-called law enforcement bodies, which would more accurately be called repressive bodies, are engaged not so much in their actual duties as in acting as newsmakers. What matters here is precisely the informational component they produce and present to society. What’s anti-popular is that for these bodies, the informational-propaganda component, a political component, in fact, has become far more significant in their work than the performance of their own functions,” Ruben Melikyan said in an interview with Alpha News.

As a reminder, on August 8, the Investigative Committee released a video and statement alleging that it had uncovered a contract killing orchestrated by Argam Abrahamyan, former head of the Artashat community and ex-member of parliament.

According to the Investigative Committee, Argam Abrahamyan, suspecting his wife E.Ts. of having a personal relationship with spiritual pastor S.V. of the religious organization “Christians of Evangelical Faith,” and of giving him large sums of money, intended, out of revenge, to take S.V.’s life. He decided not to carry out the plan himself, but instead entrusted it to his bodyguard G.G., who was financially and personally dependent on him. A.A., using his influence and the bodyguard’s loyalty, instructed G.G. to kill S.V. Taking the instruction as an order, G.G. shot and killed S.V. with a firearm on April 30, 2023, near a residential building at 2 Myasnikyan Street in Yerevan. It should be noted that Argam Abrahamyan is the husband of Emma Tsarukyan, daughter of Prosperous Armenia party chairman Gagik Tsarukyan. The Investigative Committee’s publication of personal data related to Abrahamyan’s criminal case sparked public outrage on social media.

As a reminder, even the Ombudsman responded to the Investigative Committee’s statement and video, deeming it unacceptable to publish information concerning a person’s private and family life as part of public communication on a criminal case.