Robert Kocharian arrested

Yerevan/28.07.18/Turan: On the night of July 28, the Yerevan City Court arrested the second President of Armenia Robert Kocharian for two months on charges of overthrowing the constitutional order with the use of violence. It means the dispersal of protest rallies in Yerevan on March 1-2, 2008 and the introduction of a state of emergency in the country. Lawyer Ruben Sahakyan stated that he would appeal against Kocharyan's arrest, adding that his client quietly reacted to the court's decision.

Today lawyers will hold a press conference in connection with this case. Ex-president faces up to 15 years in prison. Kocharyan himself called the charges "obvious political persecution".

The Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, General Yuri Khachaturov, also is involved in the case. Before the investigation Khachaturov was arrested, but on July 27 the court released him on bail.

* Robert Kocharian was one of the leaders of the separatist movement in Nagorny Karabakh in 1988. Subsequently, he led an armed insurgency against the authorities of Azerbaijan (1990-1992). Until 1997, he held the posts of "Chairman of the State Committee for Defense of Karabakh, Prime Minister and President of Nagorno-Karabakh. In 1997 he became the premier of Armenia, and a year later - the President of Armenia. He held this post until 2008, when he transferred power to Serge Sargsyan. -02D-