Charges Filed Against Former Chief of Police Alik Sargsyan in March 1 Criminal Case

In the course of the preliminary investigation of the criminal case handled by the Special Investigative Service of Armenia regarding the events that took place in Yerevan from March 1 to 2, 2008, sufficient evidence has been gathered to file charges against the former Chief of Police of Armenia, Alik Sargsyan, under Articles 308 (Part 2), 314 (Part 1), and 334 (Part 1) of the Criminal Code of Armenia. This was reported by the Special Investigative Service.

The charges allege that following the events of March 1 and 2, 2008, in Yerevan, Gavork Kostanyan, the authorized representative of the Government of Armenia before the European Court of Human Rights, who also served as the Deputy Minister of Justice from March 14, 2006, and Assistant to the President from July 2, 2008, and Gevorg Meheryan, Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Police from the same date, conspired with others under the direction of President Robert Kocharian to commit particularly serious crimes aimed at the overthrow of the constitutional order.

Moreover, it is alleged that they, along with a group of high-ranking police officials, including Alik Sargsyan, acted to conceal evidence of illegal actions by the police during the events of March 1 and 2, 2008, and to cover up the illegal use of the armed forces, including the illegal firing of firearms by military personnel.

The investigation revealed that Kostanyan and Meheryan instructed Sargsyan to hold a meeting at the Police Headquarters, attended by police department heads involved in the external policing of the events on March 1 and 2. During this consultation, they presented a 25-point questionnaire regarding the actions taken by various police services during these events, demanding the retroactive creation and circulation of documentation to justify their lawfulness. Following this meeting, Sargsyan began executing the directives given by Kostanyan and Meheryan.

Leading police officials, including Deputy Chief of Police Hayk Harutyunyan and others, signed and submitted false documents containing inaccurate information to the temporary commission established by the National Assembly to investigate the March 1 and 2 incidents. Additionally, in a bid to create the illusion of legality around the actions taken by the police, numerous officers reportedly prepared and circulated falsified documents indicating the presence of weapons among the protesters at Freedom Square and other misleading information.

Following the events of March 1, the investigation highlighted how high-level officials systematically altered evidence and provided false testimonies to mislead investigative authorities and conceal the military's involvement. The Special Investigative Service has noted that Sargsyan and collaborating officials aimed to obscure facts regarding constitutional violations committed under the orders of the then-president.

As of now, Alik Sargsyan has been subjected to a preventive measure, specifically a signature not to leave, while the investigation continues.