The RA Investigative Committee has informed that through preliminary investigation of the criminal proceeding initiated in the Division of Investigation of Grave Crimes of Yerevan Investigative Department of the RA Investigative Committee sufficient factual data had been obtained on extortion of 110.000 USD tantamount to 53.806.500 AMD from T.A committed by the leaders of the party “Public Voice” Vardan Ghukasyan with a nickname “Dog”, Artak Galstyan and two other persons in a group, as well as property claims to the representative in charge of the night club under the guise of providing security service, extortion of money in particularly large amount - 60.000-100.000 USD from the latter.
 

On the base of the obtained evidence public criminal prosecution was initiated against V. Ghukasyan and A. Galsyan, as well as V. Ghukasyan’s two accomplices for extortion of money in particularly large amount committed in a group. Charge was pressed against A. Galstyan and the mentioned two persons, detention was chosen as a pretrial measure against them.
 

In the result of large-scale procedural and evidentiary actions factual data were obtained on the allegation that on July 9, 2021 during the video published on the personal page opened in his name on “Youtube.com” available to public V. Ghukasyan showed obvious disrespect to court.
 

Besides, on November 12, 2022 through his personal pages on “youtube.com” and “facebook.com” available to broad circles of public, he issued public calls to commit violence against a group of persons- contract servicemen, motivated by political views, and justified such violence against them.
 

On the base of the obtained facts public criminal prosecution was initiated against V. Ghukasyan according to the Point 3 of the Part 3 of the Article 258 (2 counts), the Part 2 of the Article 489, the Point 3 of the Part 2 of the Article 330 of RA Criminal Code, as well as for committing crime envisaged by the Point 1 of the Part 2 of the Article 137.1 (2 counts) of the RA Criminal Code in force at the time of committing the alleged crime.
 

A motion was submitted to court by the investigative body to use detention as a pretrial measure against V. Ghukasyan. It was sufficed.
 

Pursuant to the information received from the Police of the RA Ministry of Internal Affairs the Police have taken measures to conduct international pursuit against V. Ghukasyan through Interpol.
 

At the same time, within the framework of the criminal proceeding data have been obtained that V. Ghukasyan is in the United States of America. Proceeding from this, the package of all necessary documents related to the criminal proceeding, as well as the international request on legal aid directed to the U.S. competent bodies on providing necessary aid in finding V. Ghukasyan, as well as handing him over to the RA competent bodies by existing legal mechanisms, was handed over to the RA Prosecutor General’s Office in order to ensure the necessary procedure in that direction.
 

Below are the screenshots of the relevant and important parts of the conversation Vardan Ghukasyan has had with the representative of the night club, as well as T.A. (with their consent), obtained within the framework of the criminal proceeding.


Note; Everyone charged with alleged crime offence shall be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law.