There is no leader for whom these would not be a great displeasure: Robert Kocharyan on the March 1 events

 YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS.  The second President of the Republic of Armenia Robert Kocharyan, referred to the accusations against him as "fairy tales."

In an interview with journalists, Kocharyan stated that the new charges related to the March 1, 2008, events are baseless and unacceptable.

"I don’t want to delve into legal issues, but, for example, it is claimed that the decree on the state of emergency was illegal. If the prosecutor had even a basic understanding of jurisprudence, he would have read the Constitution. The state of emergency was approved by the National Assembly within 24 hours, and the Constitution in effect at that time permitted such actions," Kocharyan noted.

When asked whether troops from Nagorno-Karabakh were involved in the 2008 events, Kocharyan responded: "Let me remind you that a state of emergency was also declared during the coronavirus pandemic, wasn’t it? The military police directly participated in implementing the emergency regime. The military police is a subdivision of the Ministry of Defense, and a military policeman is essentially a soldier."

Regarding the use of the Cheryomukha-7 weapon, Kocharyan said the question should be directed to the police:"Yes, Cheryomukha-7 was used because there was a mass disorder. As for whether its use was permissible, ask the police. I am not familiar with police regulations, nor am I obligated to be."

"The state of emergency was declared when we already had about 20 injured police officers. The circumstance of introducing a state of emergency was fully justified. Moreover, it stemmed from the situation. On the contrary, if I had not declared a state of emergency, I could have been prosecuted for failing to fulfill my duties."

When asked whether he bears political responsibility for the deaths of ten people during the March 1 events, Kocharyan replied: "I think there cannot be a leader for whom this would not be unpleasant, especially just a month before the end of their presidency. Of course, this is unpleasant and regrettable. This question should also be directed to the people who provoked these clashes."