YEREVAN. – Former Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces and former CSTO Secretary General, now defendant Yuri Khachaturov’s exit from Armenia was not permitted, since there was no respective authorization issued by the decision of the agency conducting the proceedings. This is noted in a clarifying statement which Police have disseminated.

As per the statement, numerous media outlets had reported that defendant Khachaturov was not allowed to go across Armenia’s border, despite a court decision on allowing the exit.

According to the Police statement, however, Khachaturov’ departure was not permitted because there was no respective authorization with a proper judicial document issued by the decision of the agency conducting the proceedings.

In accordance with the statement, in this case, the respective letter sent by the court to the police was not based on such a judicial decision.

Yuri Khachaturov and several other former Armenian officials, including second President Robert Kocharyan, are defendants in the criminal case into the events that occurred in capital city Yerevan, in March 2008. But Khachaturov has been released on bail. 

On March 1 and 2, 2008 the then authorities of Armenia used force against the opposition members who were rallying in downtown Yerevan, and against the results of the presidential election on February 19, 2008. Eight demonstrators as well as two servicemen of the internal troops were killed in the clashes.