Pashinyan comments on Artsakh leaders’ petition for Kocharyan’s release
Armenia’s prosecutor general is no longer authorized to reconsider second President Robert Kocharyan’s release, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told a news conference on Wednesday, commenting on the petition submitted to Artur Davtyan by the current and former Artsakh leaders.
In the joint letter, Artsakh President Bako Sahakyan and his predecessor Arkadi Ghukasyan called for Kocharyan’s release from custody to enable him to attend the official celebrations for May 9, marking the Victory Day, Artsakh Defense Army Day and Shushi Liberation Day. They cited the ‘huge contributions’ of Kocharyan and other former Artsakh leaders to the Armenian victory in the 1991-1994 war.
“'I think in such cases the Artsakh president’s legal advisors need to offer him the right counselling. The case is not any longer under the prosecutor general's jurisdiction; it has been submitted to court. Hence the prosecutor general cannot resolve the issue even if he wished to,” the PM said.
He also argued why the Artsakh leaders only petitioned for Kocharyan’s release when Artsakh hero Manvel Grigoryan is also remanded in custody.