Armenian law-enforcers searching former president Kocharyan’s mansion and office
20.08.2018,
15:10
The employees of the Special Investigative Service (SIS) of Armenia are searching former president Robert Kocharyan’s mansion and his office.
YEREVAN, August 20. /ARKA/. The employees of the Special Investigative Service (SIS) of Armenia are searching former president Robert Kocharyan’s mansion and his office. "The mansion and the office are being searched as part of a criminal case launched against Kocharyan in connection with March 1-2, 2008 events in Yerevan," a press-secretary of SIS Marina Ohanjanyan said.
Kocharyan was arrested for two months by a local court, but was released from pre-trial custody on August 13. He is accused of violating Armenia constitutional order in March 2008, when in a post-election standoff eight civilians and two police officers were killed. The polls were declared to have been won by then prime minister Serzh Sargsyan.
The decision angered the opposition, led by the first Armenian president Levon Ter-Petrosyan, who set off 10 days of nonstop protests that led to the crackdown on March 1, in which 10 people were killed and more than 200 injured.
Kocharyan was released from custody after Armenia’s Court of Appeals ruled that he could not be prosecuted for the post-election violence. The ruling was backed by Article 140 of the Armenian Constitution, which says that during the term of his or her powers and thereafter, the President of the Republic may not be prosecuted and subjected to liability for actions deriving from his or her status.
The ruling of the Court of Appeals was denounced by the Special Investigative Service, which described it as illegal, saying that the Court of Appeals “overstepped the bounds of its authority.” It said also that it will ask the Prosecutor General to appeal the decision at the Court of Cassation. -0-
Kocharyan was arrested for two months by a local court, but was released from pre-trial custody on August 13. He is accused of violating Armenia constitutional order in March 2008, when in a post-election standoff eight civilians and two police officers were killed. The polls were declared to have been won by then prime minister Serzh Sargsyan.
The decision angered the opposition, led by the first Armenian president Levon Ter-Petrosyan, who set off 10 days of nonstop protests that led to the crackdown on March 1, in which 10 people were killed and more than 200 injured.
Kocharyan was released from custody after Armenia’s Court of Appeals ruled that he could not be prosecuted for the post-election violence. The ruling was backed by Article 140 of the Armenian Constitution, which says that during the term of his or her powers and thereafter, the President of the Republic may not be prosecuted and subjected to liability for actions deriving from his or her status.
The ruling of the Court of Appeals was denounced by the Special Investigative Service, which described it as illegal, saying that the Court of Appeals “overstepped the bounds of its authority.” It said also that it will ask the Prosecutor General to appeal the decision at the Court of Cassation. -0-
