Lawyers representing Armenia’s second president, Robert Kocharyan, have appealed the decision to extend his pretrial detention, his attorney Aram Orbelyan announced while discussing several aspects of the proceedings.
According to Orbelyan, the defense requested that the extension of Kocharyan’s detention be considered at an open court hearing. However, the court rejected the request, citing the ongoing preliminary investigation, Radar.am reports.
The lawyer said the court had found no reasonable suspicion in most of the alleged incidents presented, while in several others it concluded that the defense had failed to provide sufficient counterarguments.
Addressing the work of the investigative team, Orbelyan said it comprised more than 60 investigators, 41 of whom had participated in investigative procedures. A total of 95 investigative actions had been conducted, with the most active investigator participating in 11.
“Some investigative actions lasted just three minutes. What has been described makes it clear that detention is being used as punishment for political reasons,” the lawyer said.
On October 24, it became known that Kocharyan’s detention had been extended by another two months. Prosecutors justified the request by arguing that he could obstruct the preliminary investigation if released.
Kocharyan faces charges of abuse of official powers, money laundering on an especially large scale and accepting a particularly large bribe.
