Judge Anna Danibekyan rejected the mediation to release second President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan from custody. He is accused of overthrowing constitutional order on March 1st, 2008. Robert Kocharyan announced, “Perhaps the prosecutors don’t understand this, but I’m not the type of person to run away from anything. There are no facts. There is no subject for me to have had an influence on that would’ve caused me to run away. If I were a runaway, Azeris would be drinking tea in Stepanakert right now.”
Kocharyan noted that there are only two or three instances in this criminal case that include him. “The first one is the fact that I met with high-ranking military officials at the President’s Residence. 12 or 13 people were investigated, but 25 people were present. I simply had a speech. As a judge, you can read the testimonials to see whether or not I should have the intention of changing anything here. The next instance is that there are some testimonials from people who spoke to me. I spoke to the Speaker of Parliament Tigran Torosyan about the state of emergency order and then I called Serzh Sargsyan, the Prime Minister, and agreed upon the order. Chief of Police Hayk Harutyunyan called me to keep me updated on several operations. I told Armen Gevorgyan to prepare the order. And that’s it. I did not speak to anyone else in any way. I’m not going to deny those testimonials. Why should I have any influence? I said what really happened. But Arshak Karapetyan said one thing in his otherwise truthful testimony that was not true. He said that I ordered a state of emergency in speech. You cannot order states of emergency in speech.”
Luiza Sukiasyan
