YEREVAN. – Representatives of the Republic of Armenia’s (RA) former authorities that are associated with the crime that was committed on March 1, 2008, in capital city Yerevan, are in a difficult situation, according to Zhoghovurd newspaper.

“An internal block has been imposed on the bank accounts of former officials having a possible link to March 1. 

“In addition to blocking bank accounts, several Western countries’ embassies in the RA have put the names of those former officials on ‘blacklists.’ The objective is but one: to decline from issuing them a visa to their countries; in this way thwarting [these former officials’] possible plans to evade Armenian justice,” wrote Zhoghovurd.

As reported earlier, a charge has been brought against second President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan, former Defense Minister Mikayel Harutyunyan, and incumbent Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Secretary General and Armenia’s former Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Khachaturov, within the framework of the criminal case into the tragic events that transpired in capital city Yerevan on March 1 and 2, 2008—and under Article 300.1 Paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code; that is, breaching Armenia’s constitutional order, in conspiracy with others.

Since Harutyunyan is not in Armenia, a search for him was declared. And on July 27, Khachaturov was released on bail, whereas Kocharyan was remanded in custody for two months by a court decision.

On March 1 and 2, 2008, the then authorities used force against the opposition members who were rallying in downtown Yerevan, and against the results of the recent presidential election. 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.