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Armenia’s former Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan has denied the charges brought against him on the sidelines of the criminal investigation into the March 2008 post-election events, as ‘groundless’.

The ex-defense minister serving in the office from 14 April 2008 until 3 October 2016, is reportedly charged with ‘overthrowing Armenia’s constitutional order’ during the March 1-2 crackdown.

In a post on Facebook, Ohanyan cited the recent wiretapped telephone conversation between the Armenian security and investigation chefs where his name is figured as a ‘vivid example of the guided court processes and gross violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms.”

“I have an impression that there are underground figures who, mastering various manipulative tricks and playing with people’s emotions, use the March 1 tragedy and the memory of the victims for their own conspiratory, far-reaching and unknown purposes,” Ohanyan said.

He strictly warned that ‘this kind of illegalities are encroachments toward the values and achievements’ of the Armenian people, shattering the grounds of its statehood and putting under doubt the efforts toward the consolidation and development of the country.

“Justice is not being implemented by order or under the street influence. Justice is being implemented by the independent and unbiased activity of the best experts of the judiciary,” he stressed.