Serzh Sargsyan's Press Conference Was About Nothing – Andranik Kocharyan

The press conference of the third President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, was about nothing. He did not reference the April events at all. This was stated today, September 9, during a conversation with journalists by Andranik Kocharyan, the head of the parliamentary investigative committee and a member of the 'My Step' faction.

In response to a journalist's observation that the Minister of Defense believes that we won the April events, Andranik Kocharyan replied, 'Our soldiers on the front line carried out a victory. I ask, what did the April events represent in the end, and what did we achieve? Open a military explanatory dictionary and read what victory means. It is clearly defined there. You will read my conclusions—reasoned and substantiated—where the victories and shortcomings were, and in the end, what it all was; did Azerbaijan solve the problem it faced, or what part of the problem did we solve for ourselves?'

Andranik Kocharyan stated that the relatives of those killed during the April events have doubts that their children might not have been dead. 'There are many investigative committees established, but you expect this, because many are waiting for it, as it relates to our country's security. Who can sell their conscience on this topic and hide something? The topic of selling one's conscience in Armenia is a thing of the past.'

When asked whether criminal cases would be initiated after the report, Kocharyan said, 'We are not an investigative body, but the report will also provide an opportunity if there are shortcomings; and there are shortcomings, and there are specific individuals who have failed, and this has had consequences, and there will naturally be a need for other bodies to study and make decisions.'

While commenting on the process of resolving the Artsakh conflict and responding to the journalist's observation that the President of Artsakh, Arayik Harutyunyan, has stated that we should prepare for war, and that there will be no negotiations because the opponent is not set for that, and Prime Minister Pashinyan has also stated that the Artsakh conflict should be resolved only through peaceful means, Kocharyan said, 'In the last two months, I have been to Artsakh twice, and I can confidently state that the authorities in Artsakh and Armenia are very serious about the daily enhancement of our security system’s capabilities. If we still have expressions of peace today, it speaks to the fact that the opponent sees the changes happening in the army.'

Regarding the proposal made by head of the LHK, Edmon Marukyan, to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan for amnesty, Andranik Kocharyan said, 'Tomorrow, Mikayel Hayrapetyan, Arman Babajanyan, and I will introduce the package of amendments to the laws that provides a definitive legal regulation for solving that issue. Marukyan can address the President of Armenia, saying, 'Let’s provide amnesty; in that case, he must justify what the amnesty is for.'