Former Minister of Culture of Armenia Hasmik Poghosyan has been sentenced to 4 years and 6 months in prison for abuse of official position and assisting in large-scale fraud. However, the sentence will not be enforced due to the application of an amnesty.
On October 18, 2023, the Prosecutor General's Office announced that Poghosyan, who held office from 2012 to 2016, had used her position to aid in the fraudulent appropriation of a 300-square-meter land parcel. The property had been granted for use to the P. Tchaikovsky Secondary Music School in Yerevan and was later illegally acquired by a criminal group.
As part of a related civil case, the Armenian government reclaimed ownership of 235.8 square meters of property located at 36/3 Koghbatsi Street, Yerevan.
On September 27, 2023, a public criminal prosecution was launched against Poghosyan. Her case was separated and transferred to the Anti-Corruption Court on October 4.
On November 6, 2025, the Anti-Corruption Criminal Court found Poghosyan guilty and issued the 4.5-year sentence, which has entered into legal force. However, she was released from serving the sentence under Article 2, Part 1, Clause 2 of Armenia’s 2018 Amnesty Law, issued on the occasion of the 2800th anniversary of Erebuni-Yerevan and the 100th anniversary of the First Republic of Armenia.
