Tracing the Trials of Kocharyan and Sargsyan

The newspaper 'Zhoghovurd' reports: 'Yesterday, we witnessed an unprecedented situation in Armenia. On the same day and at almost the same hour, court hearings were taking place in two different courts concerning the cases of the second and third Presidents of Armenia, Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan.

While the court hearings for the second president have been ongoing for a long time and have become somewhat ordinary with Robert Kocharyan in the defendant's chair, yesterday marked the first hearing for Sargsyan, creating a sense of the extraordinary among all present. This is not simply because it is unbelievable that Serzh Sargsyan could be suspected of any crime, but rather because years ago, it was hard to imagine that such a day would ever come.

It can be said that the leadership of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) had traditionally done everything to ensure a crowd outside the court, utilizing the resources of businessmen. 'Employees of RPA-affiliated businessmen had been 'brought in' for the occasion. Although the court session was scheduled for 15:00, two hours prior, the loyal republicans and former business deputies were already in the courthouse yard.

In a conversation with 'Zhoghovurd,' both Arkadi Hambartsumyan and Arayik Grigoryan insisted that no one was forced to come to the court. They voluntarily came to show their support, following the example of their leaders. Interestingly, most of the placards organized by the RPA's protest rally had little connection to Serzh Sargsyan's trial, as they contained messages such as 'Artsakh will never be part of Azerbaijan. Serzh Sargsyan,' while the court was examining a criminal case regarding the theft of diesel fuel.

Thus, following the Velvet Revolution of 2018, an unprecedented situation has emerged in Armenia where both the second and third presidents are facing charges—one for the overthrow of the constitutional order on March 1, 2008, and the other for organizing the embezzlement of nearly half a billion drams from the state budget. While Kocharyan remains in custody, Sargsyan has a travel ban imposed on him.' For more details, see today’s issue of the newspaper.