Last week the Prosecutor General's Office of Armenia rejected motion of deputies of the National Assembly to overturn arrest of ex-president Robert Kocharyan. "At this stage, there are still grounds for arrest, which was chosen as a preventive measure against Robert Kocharyan. Different measure can't guarantee integrity of the investigation," Arevik Khachatryan, head of the Public Relations Department of the Prosecutor General's Office, said, according to Armenpress.
It's a case when decision of the authorities corresponds to the public opinion. Local experts say that of all Armenian leaders, Kocharyan was the most hated by society, which contributed to his aggressive and brutal leadership. However, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan refuses to comment on the situation with Kocharian's arrest. Pashinyan said that he doesn't want to influence the course of this investigation.
On August 9th, the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) published names of those deputies who spoke in support of Kocharyan. Armenian media quoted their statement:
"Attempts to identify deputies of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) who asked to change Robert Kocharyan's punishment turned into some unnecessary speculations. Each deputy decides for himself when and under what circumstances to reveal his decisions publically.
It's not some secret list, and we can publish names of the RPA faction deputies who signed document in support of former president:
1. Ara Babloyan
2. Vahram Baghdasaryan
3. Eduard Sharmazanov
4. Arpine Hovhannisyan
5. Gagik Melikyan
6. Vahram Harutyunyan
7. Mihram Hakobyan
8. Karine Achemyan
9. Jemma Baghdasaryan
10. Prince Khazanov
11. Arsen Mikhailov
12. Armen Ashotyan
13. Andranik Harutyunyan
14. Aram Harutyunyan
15. Harutyun Karapogosyan
16. Arkady Hambardzumyan
17. Hakob Hakobyan
18. Karen Avagyan
19. Araik Hovhannisyan
20. Robert Sargsyan
21. Shushan Sardaryan
22. Hermine Naghdalyan
23. Margarita Yesayan
24. Artashes Geghamyan
25. Nairi Sahakyan
26. Rustam Makhmudyan
27. Araik Grigoryan
28. Samvel Nikoyan
29. Shushan Petrosyan
30. Hayk Babukhanyan
31. Galust Sahakyan
32. Samvel Farmanyan
33. Khosrov Harutyunyan
34. Mihran Poghosyan
35. Ruzanna Muradyan
36. Karen Karapetyan
37. Karen Bekaryan
38. They are dragging Vardapetyan
39. Nahapetyan Koryun
40. Gagik Minasyan
41. Avet Sargsyan"
At the end of July, special investigative service accused Kocharyan of going against constitutional order during dispersal of protests on March 1, 2008. Arrested (for two months), Kocharyan believes that authorities are trying to stop his participation in political processes on the eve of early parliamentary elections.
