Charchyan`s lawyer links the search of the Izmirlian Medical Center  director`s office to the campaign surrounding the Armenian Church

ArmInfo.  The raid on the office of Professor Armen Charchyan, director of the Izmirlian Medical Center, by law enforcement agencies may be linked to recent events surrounding the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC), as stated by Professor Erik Aleksanyan, Charchyan's lawyer,  to reporters.

He explained that the criminal case leading to the searches was launched on October 9, 2025, on suspicion of "large-scale tax evasion and money laundering." As Aleksanyan noted,  prosecutors allege that between 2015 and 2025, the medical center bypassed cheaper manufacturers to purchase equipment from companies linked to high-ranking AAC clergy; this scheme funneled profits to the Church while dodging state taxes.  In this regard, the lawyer recalled that the medical center operates under the management of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

"The case materials do not specify which high-ranking clergy are involved. As for the specific sums of money, I cannot disclose this, as this is confidential during the preliminary investigation," the lawyer noted.  Aleksanyan stated  that the searches were carried out based on information obtained by an NSS officer, leading to the initiation of proceedings. Specifically, it was alleged that materials in the medical center director's office could be relevant to the current investigation. The lawyer also noted that the searches were essentially conducted only four months after the case had been launched.

" Moreover, in addition to certain documents, cash was also seized from the  director's office, even though the search warrant did not explicitly grant the authority to seize money. The warrant only authorized the seizure of documents and some electronic devices, with no mention of cash seizure," Aleksanyan added. At this point, the lawyer said, it is unclear what to expect after the searches, but he assured that currently there are no grounds for an arrest. He also noted that the raid  was based on "operational information", rather than concrete evidence, calling the data "groundless".

Earlier, the lawyer  reported that law enforcement officers were  searching the office of Armen Charchyan, director of the Izmirlyan Medical Center. This information was confirmed by the country's Investigative Committee to ArmInfo.