Azernews.Az

Akbar Novruz

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A court in Armenia has ordered the seizure of assets worth more than $3 million from the relatives and close associates of late war criminal and looter Manvel Grigoryan, former Deputy Minister of Defence of Armenia, Azernews reports via Armenian media.

The court’s decision partially upheld a claim filed by Armenia’s Prosecutor General’s Office, which has announced plans to appeal the sections of the claim that were rejected.

Grigoryan, a figure long associated with war crimes and corruption, had previously had his and his wife’s assets frozen by authorities in November 2023. His notorious record includes direct involvement in atrocities committed during the Garabagh conflict, where he admitted in an interview to bringing back hundreds of Azerbaijani captives from the occupied territories. The captives were held in his private residence and forced into labour, while Grigoryan also confessed to participating in the occupation of Azerbaijani territories and in acts of kidnapping, intimidation, and violence against civilians to prevent their return.

During a court session on September 25, 2025, his recorded confessions were submitted as evidence in the ongoing trial of Armenian political and military leaders charged with crimes against peace and humanity, genocide, war crimes, and terrorism connected to Armenia’s aggression against Azerbaijan.

The seizure of Grigoryan’s family assets marks a notable step in Armenia’s belated process of addressing wartime crimes and corruption, although it continues to face criticism for partial and selective justice regarding atrocities committed during the decades-long occupation of Azerbaijani lands.