Foreign Ministry employee acquitted of treason

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenia’s Foreign Ministry employee Ashkhen Aleksanyan, who had been accused of high treason, has been acquitted, her lawyer Abgar Poghosyan said on Facebook.

“The unjust public condemnation, the circulation of photos, violations of the presumption of innocence, and the spread of information unrelated to reality.

Thus, the Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction (presided over by Ani Danielyan) announced a verdict in the case of MFA employee Ashkhen Aleksanyan, acquitting her of charges under Article 418 of the Criminal Code (high treason), which carries a sentence of 15–20 years or life imprisonment.

According to the court, her actions instead fall under Article 441, Part 1 of the Criminal Code (maximum penalty of up to four years in prison). The defense will also appeal the verdict to the Criminal Court of Appeal,” he wrote.

The Prosecutor’s Office said it will file an appeal, according to «Aysor.am ».

The lawyer added that the charges have been reclassified and now concern abuse of official authority.

Criminal proceedings against the Foreign Ministry employee were initiated in the summer of 2025 based on information received from Armenia’s National Security Service. The case was originally opened under Article 418 (high treason) and Article 424 (espionage) of the Criminal Code.