Lawyer Erik Aleksanyan Declares Indefinite Hunger Strike Demanding the Release of Kochubayev

According to lawyer Tigran Atanesyan, the detention of Alexander Kochubayev is a punitive action not only against him but also a blow to the entire legal profession. He believes that all lawyers should declare an indefinite hunger strike demanding the release of Kochubayev.

Hours after this statement, more announcements began to surface. Lawyer Erik Aleksanyan has also declared an indefinite hunger strike demanding the release of Kochubayev.

It should be recalled that lawyer Alexander Kochubayev has been detained for two months. A criminal case has been initiated against him under the second part of Article 490 of the Criminal Code—disseminating defamatory information about a judge, prosecutor, or investigator that is harmful to their rights and legitimate interests related to their legal service or professional activities.

“Kochubayev's accusation is related to his Facebook post. Kochubayev does not accept the charges and has refused to provide testimony. The charge and the post have no connection to each other,” said human rights defender Erik Aleksanyan.

It is also worth noting that Alexander Kochubayev is one of the lawyers involved in the cases of Robert Kocharian, Bagrat Serbazan, and others.