Public criminal prosecution has been initiated against Alik Aleksanyan, a member of the Strong Armenia party, and he has been detained, according to Haykakan Zhamanak.
Armenia’s Investigative Committee stated that A.A., a supporter of S.K. and founder and executive head of the NGO “Preservation of National Values in Our Way”, allegedly hired approximately 1,400 citizens through the NGO’s offices across Armenia between September 2025 and May 2026. Investigators claim the employment arrangements, including service contracts and other civil agreements, were used as a formal cover to recruit participants for rallies and public gatherings organized by supporters of S.K., the NGO, and the Strong Armenia party.
According to investigators, more than 400 of those individuals simultaneously held jobs at other companies.
The preliminary investigation found that between October 8, 2025, and March 31, 2026, approximately 1.6 billion drams, 230,000 euros, and 75,000 U.S. dollars, allegedly obtained through criminal activity, were transferred to the NGO’s bank accounts from the Tashir Charitable Foundation, Intego Energo, and Tashir Capital under descriptions such as “donation” and “loan.”
Investigators allege that during the same period, Aleksanyan sought to legitimize particularly large sums of money of alleged criminal origin by disguising them as salaries and payments under civil contracts. According to the committee, employees were financially incentivized and directed to participate in demonstrations and rallies organized by supporters of S.K., the NGO, and the Strong Armenia party between September 2025 and May 2026.
The investigation claims that most of the hired individuals either never attended work or visited NGO offices only once or a few times per month, often without understanding the nature or purpose of their supposed duties. Investigators further state that these individuals were later dismissed without the NGO carrying out the objectives specified in its charter.
According to the committee, a total of 703.8 million drams was distributed as salaries and equivalent payments, while 59.4 million drams was paid under civil-law contracts, for a combined total of approximately 763.3 million drams.
The Investigative Committee said that numerous procedural and evidentiary actions have been conducted during the investigation, including the questioning of approximately 500 people.
By decision of the supervising prosecutor, public criminal prosecution was initiated against A.A. under Part 2 of Article 236 of the Criminal Code (materially incentivizing participation in a gathering) and Point 3 of Part 3 of Article 296 (money laundering on an especially large scale).
He was detained by officers of Armenia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs police under an investigator’s decision with the aim of seeking pretrial detention as a preventive measure.
