The anticipation surrounding the conclusion of the criminal case involving Armenia’s second president, Robert Kocharyan, has been immense. Given the necessity of a fair investigation, there was no other choice but to pursue the matter. On December 27, during a meeting with journalists after a court session, Kocharyan’s lawyer, Mihran Poghosyan, made a statement. It is worth mentioning that on September 19, despite the trial having already commenced, the court rescheduled the session due to the expiration of the investigation period.

Poghosyan explains, “The decision to continue the process has been made. This whole process has been intentionally delayed for an extended period. Robert Kocharyan has been under arrest for nearly 1.6 years, during which he has faced serious health issues that require medical attention. With the court’s permission, medical examinations were conducted as part of the investigation. In May of this year, as the investigation deadline approached, we were offered an extension by the court. Considering that we have not engaged in any illegal activities during this period and have no involvement in this case, we accepted the extension to allow the trial to proceed.”

He further elaborates, “In September, the court offered another extension, and once again, we believed that justice will be served within the Armenian judicial system, so we accepted. However, soon after, during a management meeting, it was clearly mentioned that provocation trials were needed, implying that the court would intentionally not convene on certain dates. As a result, our request for a court session was not honored. I attended a scheduled court session in Gyumri on September 19, but it was refused by the court, claiming lack of jurisdiction. It was planned to be followed by clinical examinations in January, but this process was shortened due to printed materials.”

Poghosyan highlights the events of December, stating, “We were permitted to intervene as mediators in the court, but we rejected the court’s proposal to temporarily suspend the proceedings for Kocharyan to receive treatment. In that situation, we had no legal rights. According to the available information, there was no decision to release Mr. Kocharyan.”

The defense team intends to appeal to the Supreme Court to investigate whether any trials were held during holidays or days when the court supposedly did not convene, as they believe the trial is not yet completed.

Reports from Armenia provide updates on this ongoing case involving Robert Kocharyan.