YEREVAN. – The attorneys of Armenia’s second president Robert Kocharyan want to get familiarized with all the files of the criminal case into the tragic events that occurred in capital city Yerevan, in March 2008. Aram Orbelyan, one of Kocharyan’s lawyers, noted about this at a press conference on Wednesday.

“We have petitioned for being provided with all the files—that’s about 500 volumes, but we have been denied,” he said.

Orbelyan stated that the defense was provided solely with the files of the separate criminal case against Kocharyan and several others, and added that the attorneys will appeal this refusal to the court.

In his words, it is bizarre, in principle, that these files are at the National Security Service (NSS), since they should be at the investigators’ disposal. In this context, Orbelyan did not rule out that the NSS might be unlawfully gathering information on people.

And asked whether new files may be “added” to this court case, the attorney said “no,” and recalled that the files are collected during the investigation, not the trial.

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.

Second President Robert Kocharyan is charged with overthrowing the constitutional order in Armenia in connection with the aforesaid events, and taking a particularly large bribe.

The Criminal Court of Appeal overturned the first instance court’s decision on releasing Kocharyan from custody, and it ruled that he be remanded in custody yet again.