Yerevan conference of the Armenian Platform for Prosecutors’ Dialogue to address financial crime, asset recovery and victim-centred justice

A two-day high-level international conference titled “Following the Trail of Illicit Assets: Criminal Prosecution, Asset Recovery and Management of Confiscated Assets, Strengthening the Victim-Centred Approach in Criminal Justice” opened in Yerevan on July 1 within the framework of the Armenian Platform for Prosecutors’ Dialogue. The event is being held on the occasion of Prosecutor’s Day and the 108th anniversary of the establishment of Armenia’s Prosecutor’s Office.

The conference was jointly organized with the Prosecutor General’s Office under the “Strengthening National Capacities for Effective Prevention of and Fight against Economic Crime in Armenia” and “Support to the Implementation of Judicial Reforms in Armenia” programmes, implemented by the Council of Europe and co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe under the Partnership for Good Governance programme.

Following the success of the annual high-level prosecutorial conferences held in Armenia between 2023 and 2025, the Armenian Platform for Prosecutors’ Dialogue was established. More than 10 countries are represented at this year’s event by prosecutors, senior justice officials and international experts.

According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, participants include Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan, Prosecutor General Anna Vardapetyan, senior representatives of the executive and judicial branches, Council of Europe Director for Security, Integrity and Rule of Law Hanna Junker (online), Head of the European Union Delegation to Armenia Ambassador Vassilis Maragos, ambassadors accredited to Armenia, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Yerevan Maxime Longangué, Deputy Head of the Programmes Cooperation Division of the Department for the Implementation of Human Rights, Justice and Legal Co-operation Standards of the Council of Europe Lilit Daneghyan, heads of Armenia’s law enforcement agencies, Prosecutor General of Lithuania Nida Grunskienė, Prosecutor General of Estonia Astrid Asi, Prosecutor General of Latvia Armīns Meisters, as well as prosecutorial delegations from Austria, Switzerland, Romania, Italy and Poland, prosecutors and other participants.

During the two-day conference, participants will discuss current issues related to the investigation and prosecution of financial crimes, the identification, freezing, management and confiscation of illicitly acquired assets, as well as victim-centred justice.

Particular attention will be given to emerging forms of financial crime, including fraud involving artificial intelligence, criminal schemes using crypto-assets, and effective mechanisms for detecting and investigating money laundering and corruption offences.

The conference will also examine effective models for managing illicitly acquired assets, the case law of the European Court of Human Rights concerning assets obtained through illegal means, and international best practices for protecting the rights and interests of crime victims.

The organizers expect the conference to contribute to strengthening participating countries’ capacities in combating financial crime, recovering illicit assets and enhancing international cooperation, while also reinforcing professional networks and partnerships.