YEREVAN — Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said his government intends to recover approximately $2 billion in assets deemed to have been acquired illegally by 2031, arguing that the state should pursue the full confiscation of illicit property.
“The anguished cries we are hearing should serve as a lesson to everyone that no one will get away with even a single penny stolen from the people and the state, no matter who they are,” Pashinyan said in parliament.
“I have said that the law must be amended and illegally acquired property must be confiscated 100 percent,” he added.
Responding to opposition criticism that the government’s asset-forfeiture process amounts to political persecution of former officials, Pashinyan argued that such claims cannot apply to individuals who became millionaires or billionaires while holding public office.
“That person should be dispossessed as soon as possible,” the prime minister said, referring to the government’s new program, which calls for recovering approximately $2 billion in illegally acquired assets by 2031.
Asked whether recovering $2 billion was realistic, Pashinyan cited the case of former Finance Minister Gagik Khachatryan, saying the value of assets alleged to have been illegally acquired in that case alone exceeded $1 billion.
“With an effective justice system, this case alone would ensure the recovery of more than $1 billion,” Pashinyan said.
The government’s 2026–2031 program includes a goal of returning approximately $2 billion worth of assets deemed to be of illegal origin to the state or communities.
