16 February 2019, 13:25
Investigation of the "March 1" case over in Armenia
The Special Investigating Service (SIS) of Armenia has completed the inquiry into the case of riots in Yerevan on March 1-2, 2008, and presented charges against the second President of Armenia, Robert Kocharyan, and other officials.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Robert Kocharyan was taken into custody on July 27, 2018, on charges of financial crimes, as well as of overthrowing the constitutional order in connection with the dispersal of protest actions in Yerevan in March 2008.
During the March 1-2 riots, ten people perished in Yerevan; and the clashes were caused by disagreement with the victory of Serzh Sargsyan at the presidential election in Armenia. Robert Kocharyan, the then president, announced the state of emergency in Armenia.
Investigators have completed the preliminary inquiry into the cases of Robert Kocharyan, as well as the Defence Minister Seiran Oganyan; Yuri Khachaturov, the CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organization) Secretary General and Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces; and Armen Gevorgyan, the Deputy Prime Minister, who held these posts during the events of March 1-2, 2008, a source from the SIS told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. The above persons were charged with overthrowing the constitutional system of the Republic of Armenia.
On February 14, Seiran Oganyan, who held the post of the Chief of the General Staff in 2008, has responded to the charges in his Facebook page.
He treats the accusations as "ridiculous," and the trials as "biased," in which human rights and fundamental freedoms are violated (translated by the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent).
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on February 16, 2019 at 06:49 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
Author: Armine Martirosyan Source: CK correspondent
