I Call on the Council of Europe and the EU to Stand by Me: The Prime Minister Defames Me – Kocharian

The "EurActiv" website has published an article by Robert Kocharian, the imprisoned former president of Armenia, in which he accuses Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of abusing power.

Kocharian writes: "Two days before the parliamentary elections in December, after being arrested for the second time, I continue to be unlawfully held in prison, waiting for the start of my trial: I have been banned from leaving the country, deprived of constitutional presidential immunity, fundamental rights, and I am not allowed to exercise my civil and political rights, while the Prime Minister of my country defames me in his public statements."

The second President of Armenia also notes that he is being unlawfully detained for being an opposition politician and for criticizing Nikol Pashinyan's limitless populism.

"I am the challenger capable of making him accountable for the real issues concerning the Armenians, including public governance, national security, and economic matters. But who is Nikol Pashinyan? He is the mastermind behind the protests organized after the presidential elections in March 2008, which led to brutal clashes in the streets of Yerevan, encouraged by him. Eight civilians and two police officers lost their lives, and 187 police officers and 32 protesters were injured," writes the former president.

Robert Kocharian also states that he is accused of overthrowing the constitutional order, a notion that is not clear to him, his defense team, or a wide section of society.

"We believe that I am being accused for utilizing police and military forces to restore order and security in the city of Yerevan during the protests in March 2008. However, there was no direct 'contact' between the army and the protesters. The army's role in Yerevan was to protect the government and other important buildings. These were operations to enforce the law on a small scale. And remember that the protests aimed at violently overthrowing the state were led by Nikol Pashinyan and his close associates," the second President of Armenia writes, adding that leaders of the international community, judges, and human rights advocates should hold Nikol Pashinyan accountable not for his foreign declarations but rather for his actions within the country.

"If he is serious about implementing reforms in exchange for the support of the European Union and partnerships with it, then the Prime Minister of Armenia must adhere to international laws guaranteeing human rights, freedoms, and the independence of justice," Kocharian writes.

The second President of Armenia also informs that his legal team has approached the EU Commissioner, notifying him of numerous violations of international principles present in the criminal case against him, while indicating that those violations have been committed by Prime Minister Pashinyan and the Special Investigative Service.

"Who will be next after me? This is why I call on the Council of Europe and the European Union to stand by me and to demand that the Armenian authorities fully and rigorously adhere to human rights standards (including the right to a fair trial and protection from discrimination). I am ready to make this government accountable to the people of Armenia, and that is why this government is politically persecuting me. The people of Armenia should have the opportunity to choose between an energetic populist who disregards national and international law within the country and a real leader who acts cautiously within those frameworks," Kocharian writes, emphasizing once again that the criminal case against him is politically motivated, aimed at radicalizing the population.