The working group formed at the RA Prosecutor General's Office for the early elections of the RA National Assembly held on June 20, 2021 has summed up the outcomes of the reports regarding electoral offenses both during campaign (including before the launching of official campaign) and during the polling day.

 

In addition, on 22 June, at 10.00 o’clock 727 reports and alerts of such nature were received out of which 338 before the polling day, 389 on the polling day and after it. Out of them are:

 

 

• 221 – media publications,
• 241 – reports received by natural entities, including received through the hotline of the RA Prosecutor General's Office,
• 2 – received by the Office of Human Rights,
• 87 – posts made by the citizens in the social networks,
• 171 – operative data received from the police officers.

 

From the reports and alerts on criminal offences:

 

• 217 are related on giving electoral bribe, mediation to bribe (Article 154.2 and 154.9 of the RA Criminal Code),
• 170 - hindrance to implementation of the right to elect (Article 149 of the RA Criminal Code),
• 96 – voting more than once (Article 153 of the RA Criminal Code),
• 72 -  hindrance to the election campaign (Article 149.1 of the RA Criminal Code),
• 54 - breaching the confidentiality of ballot (Articles 185, 177, 137, etc. of the RA Criminal Code),
• 42 – destruction of property related to posters of election campaign and other posters of such nature (Article 185 of the RA Criminal Code),
• 10 - violence in the precinct center or in the area adjacent to its entrance (Article 149.2 of the RA Criminal Code),
• 4 - theft or damage to electoral documents or stamps or other documents (Article 152 of the RA Criminal Code),
• 2 - breach of the procedure for compilation of voters lists, dissemination to citizens and parties or publication (Article 154.7 of the RA Criminal Code),
• 2 - hindrance to implementation of the right to elect, to the work of election commissions or to the implementation of the authority of the person participating in elections (Article 154.5 of the RA Criminal Code),
• 2 – other electoral offences,
• 56 – criminal actions not considered electoral but due to elections.

Regarding 440 reports on electoral crime allegations which were abstract and had general nature, were sent to the RA Police to undertake necessary verification measures. In the result of operative-investigative measures undertaken in regard with reports and alerts the mentioned information was not affirmed and they remained without consequence, on most reports verification measures are underway.

From the mentioned 727 messages, 287 reports were sent for investigation or preliminary investigation with the instruction to prepare materials in the manner prescribed by Articles 180-181 of the RA Criminal Procedure Code.

 

As a result, on 32 cases criminal cases were initiated, out of which 

 

   18 criminal cases were for giving and receiving bribe, as well as electoral bribery mediation, most of them committed in aggravating circumstances,

 

3 – forcing and hindering participation in electoral campaign including committed in aggravating circumstances,

2 - violence in the precinct center or in the area adjacent to its entrance, one of them committed in aggravating circumstances,

1 – threat to damage property, hindering polling right by suggesting material assistance

1 – force to take part in elections, elect the party or alliance,

1 – force to inform the result of the ballot breaching the confidentiality of ballot,

1 – making false ballots and using them with prior consent with a group of people,

4 – related to the damage of posters, causing property damage.   

 

 

Criminal prosecution was initiated against 43 people, out of them 16 people were charged, including 5 people included in the lists of deputy candidates taking part in the elections.   

 

 

The RA Prosecutor General's Office will regularly publish information on the outcomes of the investigations, criminal prosecutions.

 

 

Another 18 reports regarding elections and electoral right were received in the RA Prosecutor General’s Office which, however, did not contain information on the crime envisaged by the RA Criminal Code. In connection with them, the applicants were given proper clarifications in some cases the report was sent to the RA Central Electoral Commission for consideration.