Levon Chahmahchyan Politician Date of Birth: 30.08.1952 Country: Russia

1. Early Life and Career
2. Involvement in Russian Politics
3. Chairmanship of the Russian Party of Self-Government of Workers
4. Senatorial Position and Corruption Allegations
5. Loss of Senatorship and Criminal Charges
6. Arrest and Detention
7. Subsequent Developments

Early Life and Career

Born on August 30, 1952, in Yerevan, Armenia, Levon Khorenyovich Chakhmachyan graduated from the Philological Faculty of Yerevan State University and the Higher Party School of the CPSU Central Committee. From 1974 to 1981, he worked as a correspondent, political observer, and editor at the republican newspaper "Kommunist" (later known as "Golos Armenii").

In 1981, Chakhmachyan joined the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Armenia as an instructor, sector head, and assistant to the first secretary. He reportedly played an active role in organizing rescue efforts during the devastating earthquake in Armenia in December 1988.

Involvement in Russian Politics

In January 1990, Chakhmachyan joined the apparatus of the CPSU Central Committee as a consultant and head of a sector in the ideological department. He later worked in the apparatus of the Government of the Russian Federation (1991-95) and led the election campaign of presidential candidate Svyatoslav Fedorov, a renowned ophthalmologist, in 1996.

From 1997 to 2001, Chakhmachyan served as the general director of the broadcasting center "TV-6 Volna" and the advertising agency "TV-6 Media," both owned by businessman Boris Berezovsky.

Chairmanship of the Russian Party of Self-Government of Workers

On September 7, 2000, Chakhmachyan was elected acting chairman of the Party of Self-Government of Workers (later renamed the Russian Party of Self-Government of Workers, RPST) and became its chairman on November 18. The RPST was founded by Svyatoslav Fedorov in late 1994.

In 2002, the RPST joined the All-Russian Socio-Political Movement "Russia," led by Gennady Seleznev, who had left the Communist Party of the Russian Federation in May 2002. Chakhmachyan became Seleznev's deputy in this organization.

During the Duma elections of 2003, the RPST entered an electoral bloc called "Party of the Revival of Russia - Russian Party of Life," headed by Seleznev and Sergey Mironov, the speaker of the Federation Council. The bloc failed to enter the State Duma. In 2004, the RPST joined the coalition "Patriots of Russia" led by Gennady Semigin.

Senatorial Position and Corruption Allegations

On April 25, 2004, Chakhmachyan was elected co-chairman of the Association of Russian-Armenian Business Cooperation (ARADES), alongside Nikolai Ryzhkov, a member of the Federation Council and former Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR. The honorary president of ARADES was Robert Kocharyan, the president of Armenia.

On November 26, 2004, Chakhmachyan became a senator of the Federation Council from the People's Khural (parliament) of the Republic of Kalmykia. This appointment surprised many, as it was believed to be influenced by Chakhmachyan's close friendship and business ties with Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, the president of Kalmykia.

In 2006, Chakhmachyan joined the Russian Party of Life (RPL) led by Sergey Mironov while retaining his position as Seleznev's deputy in the "Russia" movement. In the same year, the RPST was transformed into a social movement and merged into the RPL.

On June 2, 2006, Chakhmachyan and Igor Arushanov, the chief accountant of ARADES, were detained by FSB officers at the office of Transaero Airlines. They were found with a briefcase containing $300,000, which the FSB alleged was the first installment of a $1.5 million bribe they had extorted from the airline in exchange for concealing the results of an audit. Chakhmachyan was released the same day due to his senatorial immunity.

The investigation accused Chakhmachyan, Arushanov, and several employees of the Accounts Chamber (including Chakhmachyan's son-in-law Arman Oganesyan) of organizing an illegal audit of Transaero and demanding a bribe from the company's management to suppress the results of the audit. The FSB believed that Chakhmachyan used his high position to pressure Transaero's leadership and receive the bribe directly.

Loss of Senatorship and Criminal Charges

The speaker of the Federation Council, Sergey Mironov, called for the early termination of Chakhmachyan's senatorial powers on June 5. President Ilyumzhinov, despite their reported friendship, agreed with Mironov. On June 9, the Kalmykia parliament voted to recall Chakhmachyan, and on June 23, the Federation Council stripped him of his immunity.

The Prosecutor General's Office petitioned the Supreme Court of Russia to consider criminal charges against the former senator. However, the trial was postponed repeatedly due to Chakhmachyan's illness. On December 8, 2006, the Supreme Court reviewed the case at the hospital where Chakhmachyan was receiving treatment and consented to his prosecution, granting the Prosecutor General's Office's request.

The investigators charged Chakhmachyan with fraud under Article 159 of the Criminal Code of Russia. According to his lawyer, Boris Kuznetsov, Chakhmachyan was accused of creating an organized criminal group to deceive Transaero's management and obtain $1.5 million in return for a favorable decision regarding the company's alleged underpayment of $300 million in customs duties.

Arrest and Detention

On February 1, 2007, Kuznetsov announced that Chakhmachyan had been detained. The lawyer emphasized that the former senator had not officially been charged with any crime. Kuznetsov stressed that Chakhmachyan's detention was unlawful because the court ruling on his prosecution was not yet in effect and an appeal had been filed.

Nevertheless, the Basmanny Court of Moscow sanctioned Chakhmachyan's arrest on the same day. The court ruled that Chakhmachyan's health condition allowed him to be detained, despite being transported to the General Prosecutor's Office from the hospital where he had been receiving treatment since June 28, 2006.

On February 8, 2007, the Prosecutor General's Office charged Chakhmachyan with embezzlement of property on an especially large scale using his official position.

Subsequent Developments

During one of the court hearings, Kuznetsov photographed a confidential FSB document revealing that Chakhmachyan's phone calls had been tapped the day before a judicial warrant was issued. The FSB and the prosecutor's office classified this as a breach of state secrets. The Tverskoy Court of Moscow confirmed this on July 11, 2007.

Kuznetsov subsequently left Russia. The prosecutor's office opened a criminal case against him on July 13. On July 31, Chakhmachyan's family informed Kuznetsov that they no longer required his services.Valentin Sherker became Chakhmachyan's new lawyer. The Supreme Court granted the prosecutor's request to extend the former senator's detention during the trial.