Ex-President of Armenia Kocharyan May be Arrested in Coming Days

The Special Investigative Service (SIS) of Armenia questioned ex-president of the country Robert Kocharyan (1998-2008) and changed his status: he entered the SIS building as a witness, but left as a defendant for the bloody crackdown of the peaceful demonstration in Yerevan in March 2008.

Kocharyan is being accused of the violation of Article 300.1 of the criminal code of Armenia for actions aimed at overthrowing the constitutional order.

Armenian investigators officially charged him and made a decision to ask the court to remand him in pre-trial custody.

One of the main pieces of evidence against Kocharyan is the top secret order of the Ministry of Defense N 0038 of February 23, 2008 about organizing special armed groups made up of Kocharyan’s loyals in the army which, against constitutional order, would become involved in violations against opposition activists and peaceful demonstrators who were participating in a 10-day non-stop demonstration protesting the official results of the widely criticized presidential elections held on February 19 that year.

The demonstrations were led by the First President of Armenia, and the main opposition candidate, Levon Ter-Petrosyan (1991-1998).

Kocharian rejects accusations he involved the army in the internal politics of the country and used it against the opposition, and names the investigation false and politically motivated, while the records documente numerous facts to the opposite. 

During the deadly crackdown on the peaceful demonstrations, at least 10 people lost their lives, and hundreds were wounded or arrested, which international organizations such as the Council of Europe and the Special Rapporteur of Armenia labeled a “political vendetta″.

The SIS also questioned the current secretary of the Russian-lead Collective Security Treaty Organization, Yuri Khachaturov, for his possible connections to the bloody crackdown of the peaceful demonstration as, during this period, Khachaturov was the commander of the Garrison of Yerevan.

Earlier this month, the SIS charged the former Armenian Minister of Defense, Mikael Harutyun, for anti-constitional actions, and for deploying troops in Yerevan with the aim of overthrowing the constitutional order. Harutyunyan left the country during the days of the Velvet Revolution and is now internationally wanted.

During the 10-day non-stop demonstrations lasting from 20 February to 1 March, Ter-Petrosyan succeeded in gathering all opposition forces in the country around him and rallied hundreds of thousands of citizens in the streets, increasing the pressure day by day as they demanded annulment of the official results of the presidential elections. Massive rallies in the country motivated many prominent officials from the government to join the opposition movement led by the First President of the country.

The crackdown on the opposition movement happened a days before the examination of the suit of the opposition movement in the Constitutional court to annul the official results of the elections due to the unprecedented cases of election violations.  

The current Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan ,played a prominent role in Ter-Petrosyan's team and was one of the most prominent leaders of the opposition movement lead by the country's first elected democratic leader. 

After the crackdown of the peaceful demonstration in Yerevan's Freedom Square early in the morning on May 1, Pashinyan escaped arrest and while Ter-Petrosyan was put under house arrest, Pashinyan led another massive demonstration later that day in Moscow Sq. in Yerevan, demanding, among the abovementioned, the release of the First President.

After Kocharyan declared a State of Emergency and the police and armed forces opened deadly fire against the peaceful demonstration, Pashinyan escaped arrest and spent 1,4 years underground. He was arrested and sentenced to seven years in prison but the new public uprising lead by Ter-Petrosyan in 2011 forced Serzh Sarkisyan to declare an amnesty and release all the political prisoners of the country and Pashinyan spent only 1.5 incarcerated.

In 10 years of Sargsyan’s presidency, despite public demand, the events of March 1 and killings of peaceful demonstrators are still unclear. Since the resignation of Sargsyan and the change of power in Armenia the investigation into the March 1 2008 events has been reopened, involving many high ranking officials of Kocharyan's and Sargsyan's governments.

Kocharyan’s questioning and change of status brought a new wave of euphoria in Armenia. Perhaps this was the most wanted and expected news in the country after the Velvet Revolution, as the reopening of the case was one of the promises of Nikol Pashinyan before becoming a prime-minister.

UPDATES: Late at the midnight the court started examining the case, but as Kocharyan was not at the court, it was decided to postpone the examination July 27 at 11AM.

By Karen Tovmasyan

Photo source: panorama.am