YEREVAN. – The capital city Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction on Thursday resumed its hearing on deciding whether to remand Armenia’s Former Deputy Prime Minister Armen Gevorgyan in custody; and Gevorgyan is in the courtroom.

The Special Investigation Service on Wednesday filed a motion with the court that the former official be remanded in custody.

Also on the same day, several new criminal charges have been filed against Armen Gevorgyan; they are: taking a very large bribe by an official, committing very large-scale money laundering, and aiding in breaching Armenia’s constitutional order.

Gevorgyan was already charged with obstruction of justice in connection with the criminal case into the tragic events that occurred in Yerevan, in March 2008. The investigative agency had enforced a signature bond to not leave Armenia as a preventive measure for him.

According to the respective statement by the Special Investigation Service, from February 28 to March 8, 2008 the Constitutional Court (CC) had considered the case on challenging the Central Electoral Commission’s February 24, 2008 decision on the election of the new President of Armenia.

Aiming to obstruct the serving of constitutional justice on this case, however, Armen Gevorgyan had abused his official position, and instructed—through indirect channels—the CC judge examining this case that it was indispensable to make a decision of upholding the results of the presidential election that was conducted in February 2008.

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