International Olympic Committee Monitoring Armenia's Olympic Committee After Authorities Shut Down Headquarters in Tsarukyan Criminal Case

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is monitoring developments in Armenia after authorities shut down the National Olympic Committee of Armenia’s headquarters during the criminal investigation involving its president, businessman Gagik Tsarukyan, raising fresh questions about the country’s compliance with Olympic rules on institutional independence.

In a statement to Hetq, the IOC confirmed it is in contact with Armenian Olympic officials and is assessing the situation.

“The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has informed Hetq it is aware of the situation involving the National Olympic Committee of Armenia (NOCA) and has been in contact with the NOCA to carefully review all relevant elements and explore appropriate solutions to protect the NOCA as an institution and safeguard the interests of the Olympic Movement and the athletes in the country,” the organization said.

As part of the criminal case against Tsarukyan, Armenian law enforcement authorities sealed the offices of the National Olympic Committee of Armenia, bringing its operations to a standstill. Officials also closed Olimpavan, the sports complex owned by Tsarukyan that serves as a major training base for Armenian athletes.

The Olympic committee is also facing a separate legal battle. On April 9, the Weightlifting Federation of Armenia, headed by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s Chief of Staff Arayik Harutyunyan, filed a lawsuit asking the Yerevan Civil Court to declare that Tsarukyan’s powers as NOCA president, along with those of the committee’s Audit Commission members, ended on Sept. 9, 2025. The lawsuit also seeks to invalidate all decisions made by the Audit Commission after that date. Judge Anushavan Musheghyan accepted the case for review the following day.

The case has attracted international attention because the Olympic Charter requires National Olympic Committees to operate independently of political, legal, religious and economic pressure. The charter states that each committee must preserve its autonomy and resist outside influence that could interfere with its obligations under Olympic rules.

If the IOC determines that those principles have been violated, it can impose a range of sanctions. The IOC Executive Board has the authority to suspend a National Olympic Committee, revoke its provisional recognition or recommend the withdrawal of full recognition by the IOC Session. Such measures could strip an Olympic committee of the rights granted under the Olympic Charter and may also affect its athletes’ participation in international competition. The IOC can also withdraw a country’s right to host an IOC Session or Olympic Congress.

The IOC declined to say whether it is considering any provisional measures or sanctions against Armenia’s National Olympic Committee while its review remains underway.

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