Former Chief of RA Police Valery Osipyan charged over March 1, 2008  events 

ArmInfo. Former Chief of Police of Armenia Valery Osipyan has been charged in connection with the events of March 1, 2008.

According to the Anti-Corruption Committee, charges have been brought  against the then commander of the patrol regiment of the Yerevan  Police Department and his deputy for organizing the March 1, 2008,  sit- in protest in Freedom Square using violence and riot gear.

The Anti-Corruption Committee did not specify the names of the  accused. However, during the period in question, Robert Melkonyan  served as the regiment commander, and Valery Osipyan served as his  deputy.  Osipyan also served as Chief of Police of Armenia from  2018-19.

The charges are based on several counts of Articles 46-441 of the  Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia. Specifically, this includes  an act committed with the use of violence or the threat of violence,  causing particularly significant material damage, and committed with  the use of weapons or special means.  As a reminder, in 2008,  following the February 19 presidential elections won by Serzh  Sargsyan, unrest erupted in Yerevan, culminating in clashes with law  enforcement. The Armenian opposition, led by first president Levon  Ter-Petrosyan, who also ran in the election, held rallies in central  Yerevan beginning February 20, expressing dissatisfaction with the  election results. The protests culminated in riots and clashes  between protesters and law enforcement on March 1-2, resulting in 10  deaths, including police officers, and over 200 injuries. With Nikol  Pashinyan's rise to power, charges were brought against second  president Robert Kocharyan and many other former officials in the  "March 1 case."