Kocharyan’s eldest son placed in pre-trial detention

A court has approved a motion by investigators to place Sedrak Kocharyan, the eldest son of former President Robert Kocharyan, in two-month pre-trial detention following his arrest on corruption and money laundering charges, his lawyer Alexander Kochubayev has said.

He said the court also imposed restrictions on visits, excluding his wife and children.

The ex-president, who ruled Armenia from 1998 to 2008, and his eldest son, Sedrak, were arrested on August 25 as part of a criminal investigation into major alleged corruption-related offenses committed while Robert Kocharyan was in office, including the transfer of state-owned property to himself and his associates. Six suspects in total have been arrested. Prosecutors are seeking pre-trial detention for all of them. The ex-president is expected to be brought before the court for a hearing on the measure of restraint after undergoing a medical checkup following a deterioration in his health while being taken into custody.