ARMENPRESS: Armenia considered safe in terms of crime severity, police chief says

Armenia recorded a slight decline in overall crime during the first half of 2026, with notable drops in theft, fraud, robbery and several forms of violent crime. A total of 21,960 crimes were registered in Armenia during the first six months of 2026, 65 fewer than during the same period last year, representing a 0.3% decline.The figures were presented on August 18 by Kamo Tsutsulyan, acting chief of police and deputy interior minister.

The overall decline was largely driven by a reduction in property crimes, which fell by 1,454 cases, and crimes against individuals, which decreased by 588.The ministry said serious and particularly serious crimes accounted for 11.8% of all registered offenses during the reporting period, with their share decreasing by 1.9% from the previous year. Minor offenses accounted for 60.3% of cases, while 27.9% were classified as offenses of medium severity.

Serious crimes made up 10.4% and particularly serious crimes 1.4%.Tsutsulyan said this distribution reflects a long-standing pattern in Armenia and indicates that the country is safe in terms of the severity of criminal activity, citing international analytical studies in support of the assessment.

“It is noteworthy that during the reporting period, the share of serious and particularly serious crimes among all recorded crimes decreased by 1.9%. Some 88.2% of the recorded cases were less serious crimes, including minor offenses (60.3%) and medium-gravity offenses (27.9%), while 11.8% were serious (10.4%) and particularly serious (1.4%) crimes. In the case of the Republic of Armenia, this structure is a consistent pattern, which indicates that, in terms of crime severity, our country is considered safe. This is also confirmed by studies conducted by reputable international analytical platforms,” Tsutsulyan said.Several major categories recorded significant declines in the first half of the year.The number of confirmed murder cases fell from 21 to 20, while intentional bodily harm dropped from 396 to 325 cases. Traffic-rule violations fell slightly from 958 to 950, while cases involving traffic violations that resulted in death dropped more sharply, from 88 to 51.Hooliganism decreased from 498 to 417 cases, including offenses involving firearms or objects used as weapons, which fell from 63 to 41.

Robbery declined from 44 to 36 cases, while theft fell from 3,129 to 2,264. Residential thefts dropped from 432 to 262. Fraud decreased from 1,231 to 1,038 cases, while embezzlement or misappropriation declined from 174 to 105.At the same time, several categories increased. Attempted murders rose from 39 to 51, an increase of 12 cases, or 30.8%. Intentional grievous bodily harm increased from 107 to 114 cases, while reported sexual offenses rose from 82 to 93.Tsutsulyan said the increase in attempted-murder cases should be interpreted in the context of how such cases are registered and investigated.Of the 51 cases recorded in 2026, four allegedly occurred in 2025 but were registered during the current reporting period. Another six involved preparations for murder that were prevented through operational work by criminal police officers.Police also said some cases initially registered as attempted murder may be reclassified under other provisions of the Criminal Code once investigators establish the circumstances of the incidents.

According to the ministry's analysis, most of the attempted-murder cases were situational crimes, occurring during rapidly escalating incidents following a suddenly formed intent rather than as a result of long-term planning.A similar pattern was identified in cases of intentional grievous bodily harm, officials said, with most resulting from sudden developments.The number of reported sexual offenses increased by 11 cases, from 82 to 93.Tsutsulyan attributed much of the increase to changes introduced under Armenia's Criminal Procedure Code, which came into force in 2022. Under the new rules, criminal proceedings are initiated following every report, including reports of sexual offenses.Police officials stressed that some of those cases are ultimately not substantiated during the investigation and may be terminated or reclassified.The same issue can affect statistics on grievous bodily harm. Officials said some cases initially opened under that classification involve falls, accidents or self-inflicted injuries. Once forensic medical examinations establish the severity and circumstances of the injuries, some proceedings are terminated or reclassified under other articles of the Criminal Code.

The Interior Ministry also reported a significant improvement in crime clearance.The proportion of cases in which the alleged perpetrator was identified increased from 64.7% in the first half of 2025 to 73.5% in the first half of 2026. In absolute numbers, this represented an increase from 14,242 to 16,147 cases.The proportion of cases in which an accused person had been formally involved also increased, from 22.4% to 30.5%, representing an increase from 4,928 to 6,691 cases.Of the 20 confirmed murder cases recorded during the first half of 2026, around 75%, or 13 cases, resulted from personal or domestic disputes, according to police.Three were classified as hooligan-motivated, two were committed for financial motives, one was linked to hostility and one to jealousy.Police also pointed to longer-term figures to argue that Armenia has not experienced a sharp or dangerous increase in homicides. The number of recorded murders was 60 in 2021, 58 in 2022, 55 in 2023, 45 in 2024 and 50 in 2025, while 20 were recorded during the first six months of 2026.

Murders accounted for only around 0.1%-0.2% of total registered crime, according to the ministry.The ministry also cited global homicide data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, saying Armenia's homicide rate has generally ranged between 1.5 and 2.2 per 100,000 people. It said this is comparable to or below rates in many European and former Soviet countries and significantly below high-risk areas globally. The ministry cited Latvia at 2.5, Lithuania at 4.2 and Kazakhstan at 3.2 homicides per 100,000 people.

Despite the overall decline in crime, Tsutsulyan said crimes against individuals, particularly those involving violence, remain a concern.He said police analysis indicates that such offenses are often associated with health, educational and social problems among those involved.

Police have also continued efforts to identify illegally held firearms and ammunition, which the ministry considers important tools in preventing violent crime.

As a result of those efforts, the number of firearms seized, discovered or voluntarily surrendered following police outreach increased by almost 8%, from 1,204 during the first half of 2025 to 1,293 during the same period in 2026.

Police say some of those increases in the figures are influenced by registration and classification practices, while emphasizing that violent crime remains a priority for law enforcement.