YEREVAN. – The first court hearing of the trial of the criminal case against second President Robert Kocharyan and some other former officials of Armenia will be convened on May 13.
Hovhannes Khudoyan, one of Kocharyan’s attorney, told this to Armenian News-NEWS.am. He added that the second President will be in attendance to this hearing.
On that day, the capital city Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction shall address the pretrial measures of the defendants, and decide whether to commute, overturn, or sustain the court ruling on remanding Robert Kocharyan in custody.
The matter will be examined publicly, and with the attendance of the trial participants.
As reported earlier, the prosecutor has confirmed the indictment on the part that has been separated from the criminal case on the events of March 2008 in Yerevan, and regarding Robert Kocharyan, Seyran Ohanyan, Yuri Khachaturov, and Armen Gevorgyan.
The Special Investigation Service had assessed that there was sufficient evidence to file charges against second President Robert Kocharyan, former Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan, former Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces and former CSTO Secretary General Yuri Khachaturov, and former Deputy Prime Minister and ex-Secretary of the National Security Council Armen Gevorgyan.
Accordingly, Kocharyan has been charged with breaching the constitutional order and taking a particularly large bribe; Ohanyan and Khachaturov are charged with breaching the constitutional order; and Gevorgyan is charged with aiding in breaching the constitutional order, taking a particularly large bribe, and legalizing unlawfully acquired property.
But solely Robert Kocharyan is remanded in custody in connection with this criminal case. Seyran Ohanyan and Armen Gevorgyan have been released on a signature bond, while Yuri Khachaturov—on bail.
On March 1 and 2, 2008 the then authorities of Armenia used force against the opposition members who were rallying in downtown capital city 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.
