YEREVAN, June 7. /ARKA/. A low court in Yerevan, chaired by Judge Anna Danibekyan, ruled today to partially satisfy the request of  ex-president Robert Kocharyan’s defense lawyers, regarding the seizure of his property.  

Kocharyan is accused of overthrowing the constitutional order in March 2008. The case dates back to late February and early March 2008 following the disputed presidential election, when then prime minister Serzh Sargsyan was declared the winner, angering the opposition, led by the first Armenian president Levon Ter-Petrosyan and setting off 10 days of nonstop protests that led to a crackdown on March 1, in which 10 people were killed and more than 200 injured. 

In another criminal case launched against Kocharyan, he is accused of taking a large bribe. On July 30, 2018 the Special Investigation Service ruled to arrest his property. The move was appealed by Kocharyan’s lawyers. The arrested property included also Kocharyan’s retirement bank account, which, however, was removed  at the request of the Human Rights Defender.

А court in Yerevan ruled on May 18 the release of ex-president Robert Kocharyan from pre-trial detention. Judge David Grigoryan ruled that Kocharyan be released under the personal guarantees of the current and second presidents of Nagorno-Karabakh  Bako Sahakyan and Arkady Ghukasyan respectively, who submitted a written vouch that he would appear in court when the trial resumes and would not obstruct it.  According to media reports, Sahakyan and Ghukasyan paid each 500,000 drams (more than $1,000) as a bail.

The release was appealed by prosecutors, who appealed also judge Grigoryan’s decision to send the case to the Constitutional Court with a request to suspend it.-0-