YEREVAN, AUGUST 14, ARMENPRESS. The U.S. Government is attentively following the developments in Armenia connected with the March 1 case, ARMENPRESS reports U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Richard Mills told the reporters.

“For a long time the U.S. Government wanted to see a complete and impartial investigation into the March 1 tragic incidents”, Mills said.

The Ambassador highlighted the necessity of carrying out the process in line with the law. “It’s of key importance that any action taken against the persons who have committed crime or are suspected in it should be guided by rule of law and in line with Armenia’s laws and regulations”, Richard Mills said.

The March 1 case is an ongoing investigation into the deadly 2008 post-election unrest in Yerevan. Kocharyan was the outgoing president at the time, as Serzh Sargsyan was named winner of the presidential election. Mass protests erupted in Yerevan, which led to fatal clashes between security forces and demonstrators. Kocharyan is charged with paragraph 1 of Article 300.1 of the Criminal Code (breaching Constitutional order). The Court of First Instance made a decision to remand Kocharyan in custody on July 28. On August 13 the Court of Appeal set him free.

CSTO Secretary General Yuri Khachaturov who was Deputy Defense Minister in 2008 and the former Defense Minister Mikayel Harutyunyan are also charged with the same accusation. Harutyunyan is wanted by the Police of Armenia while Khachaturov has been released on bail of 5 million drams.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan