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Akbar Novruz

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Armenian authorities have launched a criminal investigation into former President Serzh Sargsyan on suspicion of abuse of power over the sale of the historic Black Fortress in Gyumri while he was serving as the country's defense minister, AzerNEWS reports.

According to Armenia's Investigative Committee, investigators have obtained prima facie evidence suggesting that in May 2005 Sargsyan authorized the direct sale of the Black Fortress, a nationally significant historical and cultural monument, together with a 0.7-hectare plot of land, to a private individual for AMD 23 million (approximately $63,000).

The Black Fortress, located in Armenia's second-largest city of Gyumri, covers an area of 626.45 square meters and is classified as an immovable monument of national historical and cultural significance.

Investigators allege that the transaction was carried out without the required government decision authorizing the sale. As a result, the state reportedly lost ownership of the landmark, which was later omitted from a 2007 government list of state-owned historical and cultural monuments protected from privatization.

If formal charges are brought and Sargsyan is convicted, he could face up to eight years in prison under Armenian law.