Robert Kocharyan taken to court for March 1 case hearing

Former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan, who is currently in custody, was brought to the Anti-Corruption Court in Yerevan.

The court is holding another hearing in the case related to the March 1, 2008 events.

Kocharyan was detained on August 25. Two days later, on August 27, the court ordered that he remain in custody for two months as part of an investigation into alleged financial and other criminal offences. Until today, he had been held alone in a detention cell.

The case dates back to the 2008 presidential election, when opposition supporters led by Armenia’s first president, Levon Ter-Petrosyan, rejected the official results and began holding indefinite protests in Freedom Square.

On the morning of March 1, police forcibly dispersed the protest camp. The demonstrations then escalated into large-scale clashes between protesters, security forces and internal troops. The authorities deployed the army in Yerevan and declared a state of emergency.

Ten people were killed [eight civilians and two police officers], while hundreds of others were injured.