There is Much Greater Pressure on the Courts Regarding Kocharian's Case

We understand that there is much greater pressure on the courts when it comes to Robert Kocharian. This was stated today, January 15, in court by the defense lawyer of the second President of Armenia, Hayk Alumyans, responding to the observation that among the four former officials accused of undermining the constitutional order in the March 1 case, only Kocharian remains in custody.

“Detention should only be applied if there are grounds and conditions for detention; it is likely that the courts have been objective regarding the other accused. We understand that there is much greater pressure on the courts regarding Robert Kocharian, and a much greater order for Kocharian to remain in custody, which is likely why Kocharian is still in detention,” he said.

When asked who issued the order, Alumyans responded, “I believe it is from the current executive power.”

It is noteworthy that on December 7, 2018, the Court of Appeals, presided over by Judge Rubik Mkhitaryan, rejected the appeals of Robert Kocharian's defense team and upheld the decision of the first instance court from July 27, which had chosen detention as a measure of restraint for Robert Kocharian.

The second president is accused of undermining the constitutional order in the March 1 criminal case. The same charges have been filed against former Defense Ministers Mikhael Harutyunyan, Seyran Ohanyan, and the former Secretary General of the CSTO, Yuri Khachaturov.