We have been informed by Mihran Minasyan, who heads the anti-corruption department at the Office of the Prosecutor General of Armenia, that following our publication of the article Armenia Does Not Need Foreigners, a criminal case was opened on December 7, 2006 in accordance with Article 311 (Taking bribes) and Article 313 (Bribery mediation) of the Criminal Code of Armenia.

The preliminary investigation is currently underway. The Hetq article reported on four foreign nationals who had each been asked to pay a $1,500 bribe to Samvel Aghajanyan, the deputy chief of the department on passports and visas of the Police Service, in order to extend their entry visas.