Kocharian's Defenders Demand Full Materials of March 1 Main Case

The defense team of Armenia's second President Robert Kocharian has once again requested the court to demand that the investigator provide the complete materials of the March 1 main case, which has been available since March 2008 to the present time. This was reported by the office of the second president of Armenia.

Out of the 600-volume case, only 79 volumes have been provided to the lawyers regarding the separated part. Back in April 2019, defense lawyer Hovhannes Khudoyan had requested the complete materials of the case, but the investigator denied the request, claiming that all documents proving the acts attributed to Robert Kocharian had already been presented to the defense.

According to Khudoyan, the investigator has selected only those volumes that contain materials which could be used against R. Kocharian, which the investigator did not even conceal. Meanwhile, there are numerous testimonies and evidence in the case materials that could refute the charges against the individuals involved in this case and lead to their acquittal. For example, there is evidence and factual data in the case showing that the rallies organized on March 1-2, 2008, were not peaceful.

The non-provided materials also contain important information regarding the activities of the Union of Involuntary Soldiers during those days, which was a reason for R. Kocharian to convene a meeting on February 23, 2008. The materials provided to the defense attorneys only include three reports from the National Security Service regarding what was happening within the Union.

According to defense lawyer Khudoyan, without providing the complete materials, it is impossible to organize an effective defense and, most importantly, the principle of competition between the parties in the proceedings is being violated. H. Khudoyan presented several examples from the practice of the Court of Cassation and the ECHR, emphasizing that the rejection of the demand for the complete materials of the case violates the principle of competition between the parties and the requirements of the Criminal Procedure Code.

A similar request was also submitted by the defender of Seyran Ohanyan, Karen Mejlumyan. The request was joined by Robert Kocharian's other lawyers, as well as the defenders of Yuri Khachaturov and Armen Gevorgyan.

The prosecution side will present its opinion at the next court hearing, which will take place on September 22 at 1:00 PM.