ArmInfo. The General Prosecutor's Office of Armenia opened a criminal case in connection with the possible concealment of the fact of dual citizenship by the President of the Republic of Armenia Armen Sarkissian. Chairman of the Chamber of Advocates of Armenia Ara Zohrabyan announced this on his Facebook page.
He recalled that earlier, 53 lawyers applied to the law enforcement agencies of the country in connection with the concealment of the fact of dual citizenship by the President of Armenia. "The Special Investigation Service of Armenia refused to initiate a criminal case. This decision was appealed by lawyers. The General Prosecutor's Office of Armenia, based on a complaint, canceled the decision of the SIS and opened a criminal case under part 1 of Article 325 of the Criminal Code of Armenia (forgery, sale or use of documents).
The General Prosecutor's Office emphasized: "It should also be noted that the assumptions that Armen Sarkissian renounced British citizenship not in 2011, but later, are legitimate in view of the fact that there is no evidence to the contrary. Based on the above, there are all grounds for initiation of a criminal case on the basis of Part 1 of Article 325 of the PA Criminal Code, "" Zohrabyan wrote.
To recall, back in March, 53 lawyers filed with the Prosecutor General's Office a statement of a crime of concealing by the President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian of the fact of dual citizenship. "In the statement it is noted that Sarkissian in 2003-2012 at least ten years had British citizenship and was elected President of Armenia on March 2, 2018, contrary to the requirement to be only an Armenian citizen for the past six years. Armen Sarkissian could be elected President of the Republic of Armenia only if his British citizenship was terminated before March 1, 2012, "the statement of the Chamber of Lawyers said at the time.
Armen Sarkissian headed the Armenian diplomatic mission in Great Britain three times - from 1993 to 1996, from 1998 to 2000 and from 2013 to 2018. All this time he lived in London, except for an incomplete 2-year period, when he was appointed Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia from 1996 to 1997.