Robert Kocharyan arrested with charges of “overthrowing the constitutional order”
Armenia’s second President Robert Kocharyan was arrested for two months according to the Yerevan court ruling issued late on Friday. Kocharyan was taken into custody from the court hall, his lawyer Aram Orbelyan told reporters.
Earlier, the Special Investigative Service (SIS) of Armenia officially charged Robert Kocharyan in the scope of the criminal investigation into the so-called March 1 events - the post presidential election crackdown in 2008 during which eight civilians and two police officers were killed.
Kocharyan, who served as Armenia’s president at a time of March 1, 2008, declared a 20-day state of emergency, with the approval of the Armenian parliament, banning future demonstrations and charged for “illegally mobilizing Armenia’s Armed Forces against peaceful demonstrators,” that was qualified as a “breach of constitutional order.”
Kocharyan has dismissed the charges as politically motivated.