ArmInfo.Artsakh President Bako Sahakyan and former President Arkady Ghukasyan again submitted to the court a petition to change the measure of restraint against the first President of Artsakh, the second President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan under their personal guarantee.
Sahakyan and Ghukasyan guaranteed to the court that Kocharyan, if the measure of restraint against him was changed, would not hinder the investigation, and would also try to avoid meetings with representatives of the body conducting the proceedings and would not commit a crime.
"We are committed to the fact that if Kocharyan is released from custody, throughout the court proceedings, he will show proper behavior, will not hinder the investigation, and will not avoid the court. ", the petition of the presidents reads. Lawyers for Robert Kocharyan made a request to consider this petition today. Judge David Grigoryan, however, noted that the person who appealed to the court must personally present in the courtroom and confirm his petition, in addition, the court must explain to the person submitting the petition of his obligation.
According to the judge, the one who stands as guarantor for a person under arrest is responsible if the charged does not behave properly. Kocharyan's lawyers promised before the end of the court session to clarify whether the former and current presidents of Artsakh will be able to appear in court in person.
To note, last week Arkady Ghukasyan and Bako Sahakyan appealed to the Prosecutor General of Armenia with a proposal to change the measure of restraint against Kocharyan under their guarantee. In their address to the Prosecutor General, Sahakyan and Ghukasyan noted that every year on May 9, the Victory Day, the Day of the formation of the NKR Defense Army and the liberation of Shushi are celebrated in Artsakh. According to tradition, all the former heads of Artsakh, people who made a significant contribution to the Karabakh war, who were at the origin of the state and the army, participated in the liberation of Shushi and achieving victory, among other guests, participate in the festivities in Shushi and Stepanakert. <Taking into account the fact that the first President of Artsakh, Robert Kocharyan is under arrest, we ask you, on the eve of May 9, to make the appropriate decision on changing the preventive measure. We are ready to come up with any public guarantees that will be necessary for his release from prison and for his release during the entire legal process. We hope that your decision will be possible the participation of all three presidents of NKR at the festive events of May 9 in Stepanakert and Shushi, which undoubtedly will be a signal of solidarity and unity not only for our society, but for the whole world, as well as the enemy. "
The prosecutor on their message stated that the case has already been sent to the court, and only the body carrying out the proceedings, in this case the court, has the right to change the measure of restraint.
In turn, at his press conference on May 8, RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan noted that there may be friendly relations between the Presidents of Artsakh and Robert Kocharyan, and he can understand the human side of the problem. "However, if it comes to the safety of Artsakh, now the hero of Artsakh, General Manvel Grigoryan, is in prison. Why isn't he mentioned, why nobody stands guarantor for him?" Pashinyan wondered. He noted that if they apply for Kocharyan, they could have applied for Grigoryan as well, thus, the logic according to which Ghukasyan and Sahakyan decided to guarantee for Kocharyan remained unclear for the Armenian Prime Minister.
Pashinyan also stressed that the accusation against Kocharyan is more serious than the accusation against Grigoryan. He also noted that earlier another hero of Artsakh was in jail, but the NKR presidents didn't entrust him (the matter concerns Artsakh's ex-minister of defense Samvel Babayan, ed. note).