Former head Armenian community of Karabakh arrested for spying for Azerbaijan

The Investigative Committee of Armenia has completed the investigation on the fact of espionage in favour of Azerbaijan by Karabakh resident Sargis Galstyan.

The Armenian Investigative Committee reports that 2018 - 2023 years Galstyan worked in various state positions in Karabakh . His last post was deputy head of the administration of the "president of Karabakh".

Possessing information about the current military situation in Karabakh and the socio-psychological state of the population, in November 2020 Galstyan established contact with an Azerbaijani intelligence officer and was assigned to spy for Baku and got ap code name "Sarhan". 

During 2020 - 2023, he collected and passed to the Azerbaijani intelligence officer information about the mood of the population, the position of the Armenian and Karabakh authorities, and possible military support for Armenia during the September 2023 events.

After the Armenian population left Karabakh, Galstyan received an offer from Baku to take the position of the head of the Armenian community and together with his wife stayed in Karabakh. He continued spying on Azerbaijan about the situation in Karabakh.

Immediately after moving to Armenia on 29 March this year, Galstyan was arrested and charged with espionage. 

Upon completion of the investigation, the case materials were sent to court, the report said.

Galstyan himself denies the accusation of espionage.