Department of Mutual Legal Assistance

Head of Department of Mutual Legal Assistance
Nelly Avetisyan

The Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia acts, based on relevant decisions of the Government of the Republic of Armenia with regard to a number of multilateral and bilateral treaties, as a Central Authority of the Republic of Armenia for the application of international treaties of the Republic of Armenia. Within the scope of legal assistance, the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia is a Central Authority of 9 multilateral and 18 bilateral international treaties and, within the scope thereof, co-operates with the Central Authorities of more than 70 countries of the world.

Within the scope of the above-mentioned international treaties, the implementation of legal co-operation is ensured by the Department of Mutual Legal Assistance.

The Department has two divisions: Division for Extradition and Judicial Assignments and Division for Transfer of Convicts.

The Division for Extradition and Judicial Co-operation ensures, as prescribed by the treaties of the Republic of Armenia, examination of requests for legal assistance and judicial assignments submitted to the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia (as a Central Authority prescribed by international treaties) by foreign states or the courts of the Republic of Armenia, as well as by other competent authorities of the Republic of Armenia, and organises the activities for forwarding them to relevant addressees.

The Department also carries out examination of documents for extradition of persons having committed a crime in cases pending in courts of foreign states which are parties to the international treaties of the Republic of Armenia, and files, on behalf of the Minister of Justice of the Republic of Armenia, motions to the competent courts of the Republic of Armenia for the purpose of extraditing persons having committed a crime and ensures the defence thereof in the competent courts of the Republic of Armenia.

The Division for Transfer of Sentenced Persons carries out, as prescribed by the international treaties of the Republic of Armenia, examination of requests and documents attached thereto, submitted in order that the convicts being citizens of the Republic of Armenia and serving punishment in foreign states serve the remaining part of the punishment in the Republic of Armenia, as well as that foreign citizens serving punishment in the Republic of Armenia serve the punishment in the country of their citizenship, and the relevant functions necessary for the extradition of convicts.