Arbitrary conclusions in Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan's case have no legal value: Investigative Committee

In connection with the case concerning the alleged violation of the privacy of Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan, a forensic examination was conducted, and the conclusion was received by the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia.

According to the Committee, the forensic examination confirmed the authenticity of the footage, establishing that Archbishop Khachatryan was indeed depicted in the videos.

The statement released by the Committee also referred to the three different expert opinions that have been subject to speculation.

 “These opinions cannot be considered as evidence, as they were obtained outside the framework of the criminal proceedings and were not commissioned by the body conducting the proceedings in accordance with the procedure established by criminal procedural legislation.

Moreover, such arbitrarily obtained conclusions cannot have any probative value, since an expert opinion in criminal proceedings acquires legal force exclusively when it is based on a comprehensive examination of the case materials and carried out in compliance with the relevant procedural guarantees.

Therefore, any assessment obtained outside the proceedings, without a proper procedural basis and without a full examination of the materials, cannot be regarded either as evidence or as a legitimate expert opinion and cannot serve as a basis for any legal conclusion,” the statement reads.