A group of lawmakers from the Republic of Artsakh National Assembly (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic/NKR NA) on Tuesday submitted a mediation-request to Prosecutor General Artur Davtyan of Armenia.

Anush Ghavalyan, press secretary of the speaker of the Artsakh parliament, wrote on Facebook that these NKR MPs ask to commute the court decision on remanding Artsakh’s First and Armenia’s second President Robert Kocharyan in custody—with a precautionary measure apart from deprivation of liberty, and considering Kocharyan’s services rendered to the state-building of both Artsakh and Armenia.

A total of 45 MPs from the NA of Armenia had joined the signature campaign to commute the aforesaid court decision.

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, 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.