Media reports: Criminal charges brought against former defense minister
According to the reports circulated in media criminal charges have been brought against Seyran Ohanyan, who has been Armenia’s defense minister, serving in the office from 14 April 2008 until 3 October 2016. The ex-minister is reportedly charged in 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.
Armenia’s Special Investigative Service (SIS) has neither confirmed nor refuted the veracity of report. “We cannot comment on the matter at this point,” the spokeswoman at the SIS Marina Ohanjanyan told Panorama.am.
To remind, earlier the SIS Chairman Sasun Khachatryan told reporters that measures have been taken to ensure Ohanyan is unable to leave the country.
Ohanyan’s name figured also in the recent wiretapped conversation between Armenian SIS Chairman and National Security Service Artur Vanetsyan, in which the latter suggests arresting Seyran Ohanyan instead of CSTO former Secretary General Yuri Khachaturov.