Vardapetyan says statute expiration halts prosecutions

PanARMENIAN.Net - Prosecutor General of Armenia Anna Vardapetyan addressed systemic delays in criminal proceedings during a discussion on maintaining reasonable trial timelines, noting a rise in cases closed due to the expiration of the statute of limitations.

“I see a negative trend. In 2020, criminal prosecution was dropped for 61 individuals during the trial stage due to statute limitations. That number rose to 233 in 2021, 343 in 2022, 519 in 2023, and 233 in 2024. For 2025, we’re still compiling data, but the first half already shows 118 such cases. This is a serious challenge,” she stated, as reported by 1lurer.am .

According to Vardapetyan, the new Criminal Code, in effect since 2022, addresses the issue by extending limitation periods, which may prevent future case dismissals.

“We no longer face this challenge in post-2022 cases, but for offenses committed before 2022, it remains a serious issue. What’s needed is better planning, avoiding raw number comparisons, focusing instead on large-scale trend analysis. It’s also important, especially in light of precedent-setting rulings from the Court of Cassation, to consolidate related cases involving the same individuals. This interrupts the limitation period.”

She added that in corruption cases, accompanying money laundering charges also interrupt limitation timelines, providing a legal tool that courts have begun to use.

“Ultimately, the biggest challenge is ensuring that each judge distinguishes the primary from the secondary and develops case strategies that enable timely resolution of proceedings,” she concluded.