Armenia’s Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan submitted to the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia the 2018 Report, which also addresses second President of the Republic of Armenia Robert Kocharyan.

The Report particularly states that the Human Rights Defender visited Yerevan-Kentron Penitentiary Institution of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia and met Kocharyan right after Robert Kocharyan was remanded.

“The Human Rights Defender was always consistent to make sure this process was implemented in strict observance of the priority of human rights and rule of law. One of the reasons why the investigation of the criminal cases under consideration clearly raised a new wave of public interest was because the second President of the Republic of Armenia, former President of the Republic of Artsakh was involved in the case as an accused-on-trial and was later remanded.

Right after Robert Kocharyan was remanded, the Human Rights Defender visited him at Yerevan-Kentron Penitentiary Institution of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia, examined the conditions and other issues related to the jurisdiction of the Defender.

During consideration of protection of the rights of Robert Kocharyan that the Defender initiated, the Staff of the Human Rights Defender was always in touch and also cooperated with Kocharyan.

Robert Kocharyan didn’t complain about the attitude of the officers of the penitentiary institution when he was remanded the first time and the second time,” the Report states.

In addition, during private talks with the Defender, the second President of the Republic of Armenia raised several issues that were addressed to the relevant state bodies within the scope of competence reserved to the Defender by constitutional law.

“The ban on visits and phone conversations set for close relatives, including family members was considered. The Human Rights Defender stated several times that the legislation of the Republic of Armenia and practice related to the ban on visits and phone conversations with family members are problematic in terms of system and are not in line with the international standards of human rights protection.

The Defender initiated a thorough study related to these issues, and recommendations for the elimination of those bans have been submitted to the Ministry of Justice and Special Investigation Service along with legal analyses.

Through the intervention of the Defender, Robert Kocharyan was provided with a computer without access to the Internet in his cell. The body implementing proceedings eliminated the ban on visits and phone conversations with close relatives. The ban was only kept for one of the close relatives, who has the procedural status of a witness in the criminal case.

The custody on the pension account of Robert Kocharyan was also eliminated,” the Report states.