Private prosecution proceedings will be introduced in Armenia
Starting December 17, private prosecution proceedings will be introduced in Armenia. This was announced by the Supreme Judicial Council.
From now on, a specific group of crimes defined by law will no longer be investigated by state investigative bodies but instead by private individuals, namely the alleged victims. This means that citizens themselves will collect evidence and attempt to prove the guilt of the person who violated their rights in court.
Examples of such crimes include theft, fraud, causing medium or severe harm to another person’s health due to negligence, and others.
The institution of private prosecution was introduced in Armenia through the Criminal Procedure Code adopted in 2021, which came into force in 2022. However, its implementation was delayed by transitional provisions until the establishment of appropriate courts or the appointment of judges. Since 2022, crimes subject to private prosecution have been handled through public prosecution procedures.