YEREVAN, JANUARY 29, ARMENPRESS. Completing the March 1 investigation is a principled matter for Armenia, PM Nikol Pashinyan said during an interview with Russia’s RBK TV when asked whether the March 1 case is a matter of principle for him.

“This case is principled for Armenia, not for me. You know, when 10 citizens get killed, it can’t just pass like that. We must understand what happened. When it’s about human lives, there should not be limitations during the investigations of these cases, even years later,” he said.

The March 1 case is an ongoing investigation into the 2008 post-election unrest in Yerevan, when clashes between protesters and security forces left ten people dead (8 civilians and 2 police officers).

Former President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan, who was the outgoing president at that time, is currently arrested and charged with overthrowing constitutional order within the ongoing probe. Former defense minister Michael Harutyunyan is also charged and currently wanted.  Yuri Khachaturov, an army general who served as commander of the Yerevan garrison in 2008, is also charged in the case. Khachaturov was the CSTO Secretary General when the charges were pressed, and he was soon ousted by the organization. He was released on a 5 million dram bail.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan