Corruption inquiry into Armenian judge finalized

PanARMENIAN.Net - A pretrial investigation into a representative of Armenia’s judiciary accused of receiving a $10,000 bribe has concluded, according to the Anti-Corruption Committee.

The case concerns Judge Artush Gabrielian.

During the proceedings, launched following extensive operations by the Anti-Corruption Committee’s operational-investigative department, it was revealed that the judge accepted a large bribe, undermining the integrity of judicial proceedings.

Specifically, it was found that G. Kh. reached an agreement with his associate— a judge of the Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction— to deliberately create procedural delays in a criminal case involving Z. S. This was done by appointing a forensic medical examination without sending it to the appropriate institution, thereby stalling the trial. The aim was to allow the statute of limitations for the crime to expire, which would lead to Z. S. being released from criminal liability.

The investigation established that instead of fulfilling his judicial duties, the judge agreed to the scheme and, on April 9, 2025, demanded a $10,000 bribe (equivalent to 3,892,500 Armenian drams) from Z. S. via G. Kh.

Z. S. accepted the offer and transferred the money to G. Kh. on April 22, 2025, to pass on to the judge.

The judge has been charged under Article 435, Part 3, Clause 2 of Armenia’s Criminal Code for accepting a large bribe. G. Kh., who acted as an intermediary, was charged under Article 46-435, Part 3, Clause 2, and Z. S. under Article 436, Part 2, Clause 3.

All three accused have been remanded in custody. The pretrial investigation is now complete, and the case materials, along with an indictment, have been submitted to the supervising prosecutor for confirmation and referral to court.