YEREVAN. – The authorities are not concerned that the Criminal Court of Appeal commuted ex-President Robert Kocharyan's arrest to a bail of 2 billion drams [over US$4mn] and he has already been released. Alen Simonyan, National Assembly Vice President and member of the majority My Step faction in Armenia’s parliament, stated this in a conversation with journalists after the faction’s meeting Saturday at the central office of the ruling Civil Contract Party.
"We [the authorities] learn about court decisions together with everyone—when they are made public. We don't catch and we don't release anyone. It was not and could not have been a political decision. The legal process continues. There have been other cases when Robert Kocharyan was released and then the precautionary measure was commuted," Simonyan also said.
"Every word about a political order is subject to failure because if we follow that logic, then Robert Kocharyan should not have been released [from prison] now."
