The Detention of Kocharyan is Punitive, Says Defense Team

The defense team of Robert Kocharyan has issued a statement regarding the decision not to change the measure of his detention. We present it in full.

“In the proceedings by the Special Investigative Service regarding the charges against the second president, Robert Kocharyan, the justification presented in the motions indicates that Robert Kocharyan would obstruct the investigation.

It has been about 9 months since the initiation of the criminal case, and during this entire period, when the investigator from the SIS submits motions to extend the detention, frequent references are made to Robert Kocharyan’s years in office and influential connections, attempting to justify the necessity of keeping him in detention.

Specifically, it is noted that the alleged crimes attributed to Robert Kocharyan make their disclosure more challenging when they are associated with an individual who has held senior government positions. It is important to note that Robert Kocharyan has held high-ranking state positions for many years—elected as the president of Nagorno-Karabakh in 1994, appointed as the Prime Minister of Armenia in 1997, and served as the President of Armenia from 1998 to 2008. These circumstances testify to his influence and connections within the Republic of Armenia.

It turns out that the application of non-removal measures for officials currently under investigation in various high-profile criminal cases does not constitute an obstacle to the proceedings, while in Robert Kocharyan’s case, it does represent an obstacle.

This fact further confirms that the application of detention against Robert Kocharyan has a punitive nature.”