YEREVAN, DECEMBER 13, ARMENPRESS. Former Secretary of the Security Council Armen Gevorgyan, a former deputy prime minister, denies the criminal charges that have been pressed by the Special Investigative Service.

A court hearing is currently underway on the SIS request to place Gevorgyan under pre-trial arrest.

“No comment until the court session is completed. I am familiar with the charges, understandably I do not accept the charges. All remaining clarifications will be presented by my lawyers after the court hearing,” Gevorgyan told reporters today.

As reported earlier, the Special Investigative Service (SIS) has pressed additional charges against Armen Gevorgyan, the former Secretary of Security Council of Armenia.

The three additional charges are assisting the overthrowing of constitutional order, bribery and money laundering, according to his lawyer Erik Alexanyan.

Gevorgyan was initially charged with obstruction of justice.

The Special Investigative Service has filed a motion to court requesting the arrest of former Deputy Prime Minister Armen Gevorgyan.

The accusations against Gevorgyan, however, concern the time period in his capacity as Secretary of Security Council (2007-2008).

The court hearing was held yesterday, but the session was adjourned and scheduled for today at 10:30.

Gevorgyan is charged in the ongoing March 1 investigation concerning the 2008 post-election deadly unrest. From 2007 to 2008, he served as Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia.

The charges pressed against Gevorgyan are based on information leaked by WikiLeaks. In 2008, when Serzh Sargsyan was elected president, his oppositionists had disputed the outcome of the vote to the Constitutional Court. According to the SIS, an investigation has revealed that Gevorgyan, and another official, abused power and pressured a judge at the Constitutional Court.

Gevorgyan was charged with obstruction of justice and was confined to the country limits with a signature bond.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan