PreferredThere are certain problems with Armenia's second president Robert Kocharyan being held in a penitentiary, his lawyer Aram Orbelyan told reporters Friday.
According to him, most of these problems are technical, but the biggest one is the obstruction of the former president's political activities. He heads the opposition "Armenia" bloc, but now his meetings with fellow bloc members are limited.
"He should have the opportunity to communicate, to discuss, especially considering the existing challenges," said Orbelyan.
He noted that Kocharyan’s pretrial detention itself is problematic, and that the decision has been appealed.
"What he [i.e. Kocharyan] is accused of has nothing to do with a crime. He fulfilled his duties by signing government decisions in accordance with the constitution of Armenia. He has been held accountable for fulfilling [his] constitutional duties," Orbelyan stated, adding that if Kocharyan had refused to sign those government decisions, he would have been charged with obstructing the activities of another body.
As per the attorney, at the same time, the economic part of the accusation against Kocharyan ignores the fact that 20 years have passed and the prices of land and real estate have changed significantly in Armenia. Before the start of active construction in Yerevan, prices were considerably lower, everyone remembers all that, the lawyer noted, emphasizing that just as there is no crime in the actions of all other citizens who were buying and selling land and real estate in Armenia at prices lower than the current ones, there is no crime in the respective actions of Robert Kocharyan and his son Sedrak.
Options for appealing to various international judicial, legal, and human rights organizations are being discussed, the attorney noted.
