The "Strong Armenia" faction of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia strongly condemns new manifestations of political persecution.

ArmInfo. The "Strong Armenia" faction of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia strongly condemns new manifestations of political persecution.

"The actions taken against the second President of the Republic of Armenia, Robert Kocharyan, and his family members prove that direct orders from the authorities continue to dangerously infiltrate legal processes. This is not a problem with an individual or a family, but with a style of work that undermines the independence of state institutions. The "Strong Armenia" faction strongly condemns any direct or indirect interference by the executive branch in judicial and law enforcement processes. The rule of law begins where justice is not an independent guarantor of government orders, but rather law and justice," the statement reads.

Earlier today, the Anti-Corruption Committee reported that a two-month pretrial detention has been imposed on the second President of Armenia, Robert Kocharyan. Kocharyan was hospitalized early in the morning, and the trial continued without him. On the morning of August 25, security forces brought the second president of Armenia, Robert Kocharyan, and his eldest son, Sedrak Kocharyan, to the Anti-Corruption Committee for questioning. At the same time, officers from the National Security Council of Armenia conducted searches of the apartment of Levon Kocharyan, a member of the opposition Armenia faction and the son of the second president, Robert Kocharyan. The searches lasted seven hours. It was also reported that searches were conducted at Robert Kocharyan's home and dozens of addresses of companies owned by the Kocharyan family, as well as the homes of directors of companies associated with the second president. Robert Kocharyan's condition, who had undergone heart surgery about two weeks earlier, sharply worsened during the investigation, and he was hospitalized. The Prosecutor General's Office of Armenia announced that same day that Robert Kocharyan had been charged with large-scale money laundering, abuse of office, and bribery. An attempt was made to bring him to court, but doctors prevented this due to his existing health issues. On August 26, at 8:00 a.m., the arrest warrant for the second president of Armenia expired. A second motion was subsequently filed.

It should be added that criminal cases were initiated against nine individuals, including former Defense Minister and third president of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan. Later, the Anti-Corruption Committee of Armenia announced that four of the six individuals detained the previous day had been remanded in custody, including Sedrak Kocharyan. The court ordered his remand in custody for two months. Another defendant, according to a source, was placed under house arrest. It was also reported that a travel ban has been imposed on the third president of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, who is also involved in the case.