Police colonel arrested on high treason charge

The former policeman, police colonel Khachik Martirosian, 61, of Yerevan, has been arrested, the head of the press service of Armenia’s National Security Service Artsvin Baghramian told Aysor.am.

A charge has been brought against him under Article 299 part 1 of the Criminal Code - high treason, i.e. siding with the enemy, espionage, transfer of state secrets to a foreign state or foreign organization, or assisting in the implementation of hostile action committed by a citizen of the Republic of Armenia, against the self-government, territorial inviolability or external security of the Republic of Armenia. The crime is punished with imprisonment for a term of 10 to 15 years, with or without property confiscation.
On January 31, 2014, the National Security Service of Armenia (NSS) detained police colonel Khachik Yeghishi Martirosian, according to the press service of the NSS.

The NSS obtained irrefutable evidence showing that in anticipation of financial assistance, K. Martirosian in August of 2013 applied to the Azerbaijani embassy in Georgia on his own initiative, got into touch with Azerbaijani special service employees acting under the cover of the embassy and offered his services.

K. Martirosian received tasks from Azerbaijani special services to obtain information of a military nature. He took active steps to carry out those tasks.

Martirosian intended to convey the information he had obtained to the Azerbaijanis, but Armenian NSS bodies stopped his actions.