Armenia faction leader links Robert Kocharyan`s arrest to RA  government`s intention to make new concessions to Azerbaijan

ArmInfo.  The arrest of Armenia's second president, Robert Kocharyan, is an attempt to neutralize one of the main opposition figures amid the Armenian government's  readiness to make new concessions to Azerbaijan. Anna Grigoryan, head  of the Armenia parliamentary faction, stated this at a press  conference in Yerevan on August 31.

She expressed her conviction that the case against Armenia's second  president has political and geopolitical overtones. "Of the four  Artsakh presidents, three are in Azerbaijani captivity, and one,  Robert Kocharyan, is in the NSS detention center. And this is no  coincidence. Because where Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev can't  reach, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan comes to the rescue.  And each of us must ask ourselves: why, in the post-election period,  when there is a formed government capable of implementing both its  domestic and foreign policies, is Kocharyan being arrested for a  completely insignificant economic matter?" Grigoryan noted.

The politician linked this to the new challenges the Armenian people  will soon face. Specifically, she recalled Baku's demands for the  handover of Tigranashen and amendments to the Armenian Constitution,  specifically the removal of the reference to the Declaration of  Independence.

"This is precisely Pashinyan's political agenda. And that's why he's  trying to neutralize one of the main opposition figures, Robert  Kocharyan. This isn't an economic or any other process, but a purely  political one. Considering that Pashinyan seeks to transfer the  Republic to Turkey's control, and to this end, is worsening relations  with Russia, the reason for Kocharyan's arrest is also obvious. It  was the second president of Armenia who always advocated for an  allied relationship with Russia. Therefore, an attempt is being made  to neutralize all those who voice the risk of worsening relations  with Russia," Grigoryan explained.

As a reminder, on August 25, National Security Council officers  conducted searches of the apartment of Levon Kocharyan, a member of  the opposition Armenia faction and son of second president Robert  Kocharyan, and of companies affiliated with the Kocharyan family.  Robert Kocharyan and Sedrak Kocharyan were subsequently detained and  taken to the Anti-Corruption Committee for questioning.  However,  Robert Kocharyan's condition, which had been following heart surgery  for about two weeks, deteriorated sharply and he was hospitalized.  That same day, Robert Kocharyan was charged with large- scale money  laundering, abuse of office, and accepting a large bribe. Nine other  individuals were also charged in the case. On August 27, the  Anti-Corruption Court ordered Kocharyan's pretrial detention for two  months.