At the moment, 38 lawmakers have joined the signature campaign to commute the court decision on remanding Armenia’s second President Robert Kocharyan in custody.  

Viktor Soghomonyan, the head of Kocharyan’s office, told about the aforementioned to Armenian News-NEWS.am.

He noted that the signatories include National Assembly (NA) President Ara Babloyan as well as deputy speakers Arpine Hovhannisyan and Eduard Sharmazanov—all of whom are members of the former ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA). 

The signature campaign was launched by the NA faction of the RPA.  

Separately, Kocharyan’s attorneys had informed that on Wednesday, they were going to submit their appeal against the remanding of their client in custody.

As reported earlier, a charge has been brought against second President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan, former Defense Minister Mikayel Harutyunyan, and incumbent Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Secretary General and Armenia’s former Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Khachaturov, within the framework of the criminal case into the tragic events that transpired in capital city Yerevan on March 1 and 2, 2008—and under Article 300.1 Paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code; that is, breaching Armenia’s constitutional order, in conspiracy with others.

Since Harutyunyan is not in Armenia, and a search for him was declared. And on July 27, Khachaturov was released on bail, whereas Kocharyan was remanded in custody for two months by a court decision.

On the evening of July 26, ex-President Robert Kocharyan had given an interview, during which he had said the criminal case against him was trumped-up and a political vendetta.

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

But no one had been brought to account for these deaths, to this day.