HOVIK ABRAHAMYAN: THE PUI-PUI OF HIGH POLITICS
ANI’s investigation is dedicated to Hovik Abrahamyan, one of Armenia’s most influential political figures of the 2000s–2010s. His strength lay not in his own ideology, but in his exceptional ability to adapt, build connections, and remain the person needed by different centers of influence. Abrahamyan was not the man of a particular leader, but the man of a political mechanism. However, over the decades, the system of property, family ties, and influence that he created, and which was the source of his strength, turned into his vulnerable side after the change of government. Today, he has found himself in the situation of the Pui-Pui mouse from an Armenian fairy tale: entering the “shell” of power and wealth was easy, but facing criminal cases and claims for confiscation, getting out of it became extremely difficult.
Political Path: From Mechanic to Prime Minister
Abrahamyan’s official career began in 1990, when he became head of a department at a brandy factory, although journalists had found that before that he had worked at an auto repair station. His subsequent rise was lightning-fast: by 1998, he had become Governor of Ararat Province, and in 2008, President of the National Assembly. In 2014, he reached the peak by becoming Prime Minister of Armenia.
The key to his success was his relationship with Serzh Sargsyan. Abrahamyan headed his election campaign headquarters and was considered the second most influential person under the influence of the Republican Party. At the same time, he skillfully maintained ties with other political forces as well: his son married the daughter of Prosperous Armenia Party leader Gagik Tsarukyan, while Abrahamyan himself also owed his political rise to the second President, Robert Kocharyan.
The test of loyalty came in 2015, during the confrontation between Serzh Sargsyan and Gagik Tsarukyan. Despite his family ties, Abrahamyan publicly supported the president, declaring that those who “do not understand the first, second, or third time should be hit once more.” However, in 2016 he unexpectedly resigned as Prime Minister, and in 2017 left the Republican Party of Armenia, publicly clashing with Serzh Sargsyan. After the 2018 Velvet Revolution, Abrahamyan, who had a long history of public confrontations with Nikol Pashinyan, adopted a restrained position, refraining from openly going to war with the new government.
The Business Empire and Journalistic Investigations
Alongside his political career, the Abrahamyan family’s enormous wealth was taking shape. As early as 2014, Hetq linked more than fifty companies in various fields — from real estate and alcohol production to mining and gambling — to the Prime Minister’s close relatives.
The main link was Abrahamyan’s son, Argam. He owned shares in major assets, including the Imperium Plaza business center and the National Hotel, as well as stakes in Araratcement and joint ventures with Gagik Tsarukyan.
Abrahamyan himself officially declared only modest assets, explaining their origin through income from agriculture. However, journalists pointed to his wife’s enormous landholdings, the use of state subsidies — diesel fuel and irrigation support — as well as complex ownership schemes in which the nominal owners did not correspond to the actual beneficiaries.
Criminal Cases and Claims for Confiscation
After the change of government, the questions raised by journalists moved into the legal sphere. Today, two processes are developing in parallel against Hovik Abrahamyan and his family.
1. Criminal proceedings. The Anti-Corruption Committee accuses Abrahamyan of illegally participating in entrepreneurial activity through relatives, abusing official powers, and legalizing approximately 470 million drams in income. The key episode in the case is the story of the “Avazahat” quarry, which, according to the investigation’s version, was taken from businessman Gevorgyan under political pressure and re-registered in the name of the Prime Minister’s brother. In 2025, the case was transferred to court. Abrahamyan denies all the charges.
2. Property claims. In parallel, the Prosecutor’s Office is demanding the confiscation of property considered to have been acquired unlawfully. The claim includes 59 real estate properties, 20 companies, and monetary claims amounting to billions of drams. Particularly strong reaction was caused by the sale of a mansion belonging to the family for 2.5 billion drams to businessman Narek Nalbandyan. According to the opposition, this transaction indicates undisclosed ties between Abrahamyan and the current government.
The “weapons” case runs as a separate line: in 2018, an entire arsenal of weapons was discovered under the floor of a factory under Abrahamyan’s actual control. The court recognized it as the property of the former Prime Minister’s brother, Henrik Abrahamyan.
Conclusion
The story of Hovik Abrahamyan is the story of a man who became an ideal link in the old political machine. Today, however, that same machine has turned into a mechanism for his prosecution. Whether this process will end with a genuine reassessment of the past, a redistribution of assets, or a political deal will be shown by time. For now, the former Prime Minister, like the Pui-Pui mouse from an Armenian fairy tale, remains trapped inside the very system he created.