Nothing political behind criminal investigation of Kocharyan, reassures Pashinyan

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. According to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, now there should be a complete perception that there is no political component behind the criminal charges and the investigation against former President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan over the March 1 case.

Speaking to reporters after an investment forum in Tavush, the Armenian PM stressed that if there were to be a political component in this case, Robert Kocharyan wouldn’t be free today. “This doesn’t mean that if tomorrow he would be under arrest it will turn out that there is a political component,” he said.

According to the PM, what happened on March 1 in 2008 happened before the eyes of everyone. “And the factual circumstances which exist, which the operative bodies under the PM possess, I believe will shed new light on the obvious. I think there cannot be any doubt that there will be any political component in any case,” he said.

The PM stressed that it would be a personal embarrassment for him if there were to be political prisoners in Armenia during his tenure.

The March 1 case is an ongoing investigation into the deadly 2008 post election unrest in Yerevan. 10 people, including two police officers, were killed in the clashes between security forces and protesters.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan