If It Turns Out That I Am Guilty, Then Life Imprisonment Is Too Little, Execute Me: The Open Letter of a Convicted Man

Convicted to life imprisonment, Arthur Kocharyan has addressed an open letter to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, stating, "Dear Mr. Pashinyan, I, Arthur Kocharyan, for the third time after the velvet revolution in Armenia, am writing to you to raise a problem that has been around for 15 years. If we do not address this issue, I am convinced it will continue to persist. The problem concerns the crimes committed in the army.

I, Arthur Kocharyan, have been sentenced to life imprisonment for a crime I did not commit and for about 15 years have been raising my voice in various ways, stating that I have no connection to the crime attributed to me. I say this not only as an innocent person, but the facts of the criminal case confirm my innocence. There is not a single piece of evidence in the criminal case proving my guilt, no witnesses, no motives, and no circumstances. There is merely one defamatory statement, which is contradicted by numerous expert evaluations and conclusions.

In other words, it turns out that to declare me guilty, they took into account not the facts or the conclusions of the investigations, but one defamatory statement that contradicts the conclusions of the experts. Dear Mr. Pashinyan, I am fully aware that the issues facing the country over the past 25 years cannot be resolved in one or two years, but this issue has a central role, as it has a direct connection to our military.

Like hundreds of thousands, I have also served in the military, but I was one of the few who was not discharged for an unclear reason.

Dear Mr. Pashinyan, the complaints about indifference are growing day by day, which has become a curse of the 21st century: "indifference," which brings about even greater evils. I understand how complex the issue we, you, and many others find ourselves in, is. But believe me, as long as real criminals are not held accountable for the crimes committed in the Armed Forces of Armenia, such cases will continue to happen.

The previous authorities of Armenia did everything to ensure that those truly responsible for crimes in the military remain unpunished for various interests. Unless this malignant habit is addressed, it will continue.

Dear Mr. Pashinyan, I appeal and request that, by your order, an independent commission be established to investigate the murders in the army, which does not include investigators and prosecutors, and all similar criminal cases and their results will be reported directly to you. Exclude the investigative prosecutors from that commission so that the results of the investigation are not falsified and you are not presented with false information, so that this extraordinary phenomenon may finally disappear from both state and lower bodies.

I hope you will not reject the request of this innocent life convict and restore justice in our country, which is long-awaited.

In conclusion, I would like to add: if it turns out that I am guilty after the review of this criminal case, then life imprisonment is too little for me, execute me!"