In Yerevan arrested the former President of Armenia
The court in Yerevan arrested Friday the ex-President of Armenia Robert Kocharian in the case of the crackdown on protests on 1 March 2008, said his lawyer Aram Orbelyan.
YEREVAN, July 27 — RIA Novosti. “The court made the decision to arrest. More than that can not say. All the rest will present tomorrow at a press conference,” he said.
On Thursday, the Special investigation service has filed charges against Kocharian in the overthrow of the constitutional order in the criminal case about the protesters on 1 March 2008. The court directed the petition for its arrest.
According to the Armenian Constitution, the President during and after the term of their powers may not be prosecuted and held accountable for his actions due to his status.
Kocharyan thinks the charges are trumped up as political persecution. According to the former President, this may be due to the desire to neutralize his participation in the political process on the eve of early parliamentary elections.
Earlier, the former defense Minister of Armenia Mikael Harutyunyan was involved as accused and is wanted in a criminal case initiated on the article “the overthrow of the constitutional order” in connection with the dispersal of protests in March 2008. The head of the Special investigation service reported that Harutyunyan is outside of the country. Kocharian on Thursday was questioned.
Previously, the press Secretary of the Special investigation service Marina Ohanjanyan told RIA Novosti that on interrogation in the said case on Thursday was also CSTO Secretary General Yuri Khachaturov, who served in 2008 in the armed forces of Armenia.