WATERTOWN — Sergey Smbatyan, the artistic director and chief conductor of the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra, has been acquitted, his lawyer, Yervand Varosyan, announced on Facebook on October 30. Varosyan recently provided the Armenian Mirror-Spectator a copy of the letter dated October 27 from the Office of the General Prosecutor of the Republic of Armenia, signed by Tsovak Mnatsakanyan, to this effect, along with its English translation.
The letter states that criminal prosecution of Smbatyan is being dropped because he apparently did not carry out the act which he had been accused of committing. This decision may be appealed within 15 days of the date of its promulgation.
Sergey Smbatyan and his father Armen Smbatyan, a former diplomat, were arrested for large-scale fraud in late July in a matter in which Hasmik Poghosyan, former Armenian Minister of Culture and Youth Affairs, was allegedly also involved.
The lawyer did not respond to inquiries, however, as to the status of the cases of Armen Smbatyan and Poghosyan.
