On July 11 of this year, our client, Mr. E.V., director of a major company engaged in the production of alcoholic beverages, was arrested by the decision of an investigator from the General Department for the Investigation of Economic Crimes and Smuggling of the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia. On the same day, he was charged with the supposed commission of a crime related to large-scale tax evasion, and a motion was submitted to the court to apply detention as a preventive measure.
During the hearing of the motion, the defense team was able to demonstrate to the court that the charges were unreasonable, that there was no legal basis or grounds for detention, and that using detention or the threat of it as a means of pressure by the investigative body was unacceptable.
Upon reviewing the submitted motion, on July 12, 2025, the Criminal Court of First Instance of Yerevan (Judge E. Mkrtchyan) rejected the motion to apply detention as a preventive measure against E.V., opting instead for alternative preventive measures.
Thanks to the outstanding work of the defense attorneys—Andranik Mnatsakanyan and Gurgen Nersisyan from “LSA” Law Office, and Albert Arzumanyan, member of the Chamber of Advocates of Armenia—it was possible not only to prevent the application of the strictest preventive measure against the accused, but also to highlight, at this early stage of the preliminary investigation, the unsubstantiated and unsupported nature of the charges. The defense team remains committed to ensuring a full and objective investigation in this case.
