Recovering illegally acquired assets and strengthening the place of victims in criminal justice were at the centre of a high-level international conference held in Yerevan on 1-2 July 2026, within the Armenian Platform of the European Prosecutors' Dialogue. Established following the successful prosecutorial conferences of 2023-2025, the platform continues to bring together the jurisdictions of Council of Europe member states in regular professional dialogue, contributing to more resilient, corruption-resistant justice systems.
Prosecutors, senior justice officials and international experts from more than ten countries took part, with the attendance of the Prime Minister of Armenia underlining the high-level political support and commitment for the reform agenda. Participants examined how to trace, freeze, manage and confiscate illicit assets, and how to respond to emerging threats. Relevant human rights considerations as well as the case law of the European Court of Human Rights on illegally acquired property and good practices in protecting the rights of victims of crime were also in the focus of the discussions. A dedicated side event provided detailed information on the Additional Protocol to the Council of Europe Convention on laundering, search, seizure and confiscation of the proceeds from crime and on the financing of terrorism, which could support Armenia's further alignment with European standards and its engagement in international judicial co-operation.
Welcoming the participants, Prosecutor General Anna Vardapetyan stated that Armenia had achieved significant results through establishing the platform for prosecutors while also increasing co-operation and exchanges among the Council of Europe member States.
Hanne Juncker, Director of Security, Integrity and Rule of Law at the Council of Europe underlined the importance of such platforms, co-operation and prosecutorial dialogue at a time when crime is growing fast and increasingly crosses borders, making joint responses and close ties between jurisdictions essential.
Ambassador Vassilis Maragos, Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia, reaffirmed the European Union's strong commitment to Armenia's rule of law reforms and its continued co-operation with the Council of Europe, welcoming Armenia's efforts to modernise its legal and institutional framework, improve the efficiency of law enforcement and prosecution, and align with European standards.
Upon closing the conference, there was clear consensus among participants on the added value of such dialogue in terms of sharing good practices, reinforcing professional ties and partnerships and building the capacities of member states in combating financial crime and recovering illicit assets with a victim-centred approach.
This event was co-organised by the European Union and the Council of Europe joint Project on “Enhancing national capacities for effective prevention and fight against economic crime in Armenia” and the Council of Europe “Support to the Justice Reform in Armenia” Project.
