In the first half of 2025, the number of criminal cases suspended not due to the search or illness of the defendant reached 25.3 thousand, noted the data project "To Be Precise" based on the data from the Judicial Department of the Supreme Court. For comparison, in 2019, only 648 cases were suspended on this basis.
The court can suspend the consideration of a case if the accused is wanted or seriously ill and cannot participate in the process. But in recent years, a new reason has emerged — participation in combat operations. This became possible after amendments to the laws adopted in March 2024.
The first to draw attention to the increase in the number of suspended cases in 2024 was lawyer Mari Davtyan. According to her, one can go to the special military operation even before the trial — at the investigation stage. This may also be related to the record reduction in the number of detainees in pre-trial detention centers. In 2024, there were 88.5 thousand people there — 15 thousand fewer than the previous year. This is the minimum in the last 20 years.