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Rally in support of Armenia’s ex-President Kocharyan held in Artsakh

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A rally demanding the release of Armenia’s former President Robert Kocharyan currently placed in detention was held on December 22 in the capital city Stepanakert of the Artsakh Republic. The protest was organized by the initiative group named “Union of Robert Kocharyan’s supporters”, Yerevan Today reported.

During the rally, physicist Grigory Afanasyan addressed the protestants: “Today, after 30 years we have gathered again and this time in protection of the former president of Armenia and Artsakh Robert Kocharyan. Karabakh people are ready to stand by their leader. Kocharyan was the one who stood by us during the demonstrations [of the Karabakh movement] and we are now demanding his immediate release,” Afanasyan said, recalling the former president’s role in the Karabakh movement and the subsequent war.

One of the participants of the gathering noted in case of a need they are ready to march from Stepanakert to Yerevan and stage demonstrations demanding Kocharyan’s freedom.

To remind, Kocharyan was arrested in July on charges of overthrowing Armenia’s constitutional order during the March 1-2, 2008 post-election events. On December 7, Armenia’s Court of Appeals upheld the first instance court’s ruling to arrest Robert Kocharyan.
The ex-president and his lawyers strongly deny the charges as ‘politically motivated’ and are set to file lawsuit with ECHR.

Armenia Special Investigation Service chief: Ex-President Serzh Sargsyan will be questioned

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Third President Serzh Sargsyan will be questioned in connection with the events that occurred in Yerevan, in March 2008.

Sasun Khachatryan, Chief of the Special Investigation Service (SIS) of Armenia, on Thursday told about the aforesaid to reporters.

“It has been said numerous times that all those who are associated with the case will be questioned,” Khachatryan said, “including Serzh Sargsyan.”

Asked when this questioning will take place, the SIS chief noted that the investigator shall decide this, and based on the expediency of the ongoing investigation into this case.

As reported earlier, second President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan, former Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces and ex-Defense Minister Mikayel Harutyunyan, and incumbent Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Secretary General and Armenia’s former Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Khachaturov have been charged within the framework of the criminal case into the tragic events that transpired in capital city Yerevan on March 1 and 2, 2008—and under Article 300.1 Paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code; that is, breaching Armenia’s constitutional order, in conspiracy with others.

Since Harutyunyan is not in Armenia, a search for him was declared. On July 27, Khachaturov was released on bail, whereas Kocharyan was remanded in custody for two months by a court decision. But on Monday, the Court of Appeal granted Robert Kocharyan’s legal defenders’ appeal to commute the first-instance court’s decision on remanding their client in custody, and Kocharyan was released from courtroom on the grounds that he has presidential immunity. But sometime thereafter, the Special Investigation Service stated that the decision to release Kocharyan was unlawful, and expressed the hope that the Prosecutor General’s Office will appeal this decision at the Court of Cassation.

On March 1 and 2, 2008, the then authorities used force against the opposition members who were rallying in downtown Yerevan, and against the results of the recent presidential election. Eight demonstrators as well as two servicemen of the internal troops were killed in the clashes. But no one had been brought to account for these deaths, to this day.

 

Investigation of appeal to change ex-President Robert Kocharyan’s precautionary measure kicks off in Court of Appeals

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The investigation of the appeal of attorneys to change the precautionary measure selected for 2nd President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan has kicked off in the Court of Appeals, reports Armenpress.

Kocharyan’s attorneys appealed the court ruling to remand the 2nd President in pre-trial custody for two months.

Robert Kocharyan has been charged on July 26 over the 2008 March 1 case, under the Article 300.1 part 1 of the Criminal Code for breaching the constitutional order of the Republic of Armenia. He is currently remanded into custody.

45 MPs signed a petition to change Kocharyan’s precautionary measure, but the Prosecutor General’s Office rejected it, stating that the grounds to keep Robert Kocharyan in custody are maintained and the selection of another precautionary measure not related to detention is still unable to guarantee the uninterrupted process of the investigation.

38 MPs present personal guarantees for changing court’s decision to remand ex-President Kocharyan into custody

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38 MPs have filed personal guarantees for changing the court’s decision to remand 2nd President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan into custody, Viktor Soghomonyan – head of the 2nd President’s Office, told Armenpress, adding that this list is not final yet, the petition continues.

“Lawmakers from different factions participated in the petition. Later I will release the list, it’s not a secret list, the petition still is underway, I think several MPs will also join the list”, Soghomonyan said, adding that Speaker of the Parliament Ara Babloyan and Vice Speakers Arpine Hovhannisyan and Eduard Sharmazanov have also signed the form.

Asked whether they have appealed the court ruling to remand Kocharyan into custody to the Court of Appeal, Viktor Soghomonyan said they haven’t submitted the appeal yet, but the attorneys will submit it today.

2nd President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan has been charged on July 26 over the 2008 March 1 case. He has been remanded into custody.

 

Ex-President Robert Kocharyan’s questioning underway at Special Investigative Service

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Ex-President Robert Kocharyan

Ex-President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan, in office 1998 – 2008, is currently at the Special Investigative Service (SIS) in Yerevan for questioning, SIS spokesperson Marina Ohanjanyan told ARMENPRESS.

Kocharyan has been summoned for questioning over the March 1 case – the ongoing investigation into the deadly 2008 post-election protests.

Kocharyan’s office had earlier requested for the questioning to be videotaped. SIS director Sasun Khachatryan told reporters earlier today that the process will be videotaped, but not made public.

Kocharyan is questioned as a witness.

ECHR ex-President completes work on bill criminalizing Armenian Genocide denial in France

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defaultE-CHRFormer President of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) Jean-Paul Costa has completed the work on drawing out the bill criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial in France, co-chairman of the Coordination Council of Armenian Organizations of France (CCAF), Murad Papazian, told Armenian News – NEWS.am.

“Now we are already holding working consultations. By the end of the expert work, it will become clear whether we will be able to introduce this bill in the parliament or not. We must be sure that this bill will have a constitutional power,” Papazian noted, stressing that they will complete this stage by the end of May.

French President François Hollande earlier raised the issue on adopting a law criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial.