Armenian prosecutors have initiated a new criminal case against Mikayel Minasyan, the former son-in-law of ex-President Serzh Sarkisian, who is currently a fugitive. Minasyan faces multiple charges, including large-scale embezzlement.
The Prosecutor’s Office reports that Minasyan is under investigation for 76 separate incidents involving allegations such as fraud, abuse of official position, and unfair competition. These alleged crimes have reportedly caused $350 million in damages to the state. Additionally, 12 other individuals have been identified as suspects in the case.
Minasyan, who once held the position of Armenia’s ambassador to the Vatican, has been wanted by Armenian authorities since 2020. Previous charges against him include illegal enrichment, money laundering, and providing false information in income declarations.
Minasyan has yet to respond to the latest charges. However, through his lawyer, he has previously denied the earlier accusations, labeling them as fabricated.
Until 2021, Minasyan was a vocal critic of the Armenian government, frequently posting videos and statements on social media from an undisclosed location. In 2022, reports emerged that Interpol had removed him from its international wanted list. Armenian prosecutors later found that Minasyan’s removal from the list followed his personal request, though the exact reasons behind Interpol’s decision remain unclear.
The timing of this new criminal case is notable, coming just days after the former president’s brother and other family members were summoned to the Prosecutor-General’s Office. They were reportedly briefed on the findings of an investigation into the legality of their property holdings and the prosecution’s position on the matter.
The Prosecutor-General’s Office has not yet disclosed the extent of the property belonging to Alexander Sarkisian, Serzh Sarkisian’s brother, that is considered illegal and potentially subject to confiscation in an ongoing court case.
Back in 2019, the National Security Service froze Alexander Sarkisian’s $30 million bank account as part of a criminal investigation. He managed to avoid arrest on fraud charges by agreeing to transfer the entire amount to the state budget, partly as a donation and partly to settle a tax debt.
Last month, it was revealed that authorities plan to seize a private residence in an upscale area near Yerevan, units of movable property, over 17 million drams (approximately $44,000), and other financial assets from an individual connected to Lyova Sarkisian, another brother of Serzh Sarkisian, as part of efforts to confiscate “illegally obtained property.”
