Armenia’s second president and opposition leader Robert Kocharyan and his eldest son, Sedrak Kocharyan, have been arrested, the Anti-Corruption Committee has confirmed.
The arrests came during a broad law enforcement operation early Tuesday targeting homes and businesses linked to the Kocharyan family.
Masked officers searched the home of Kocharyan’s younger son, opposition MP Levon Kocharyan, while his three minor children were reportedly inside. Levon was not arrested and remains protected by parliamentary immunity. A member of the opposition “Armenia” faction, he has been one of Nikol Pashinyan’s most vocal critics in parliament.
The operation extended well beyond the family home. Investigative actions were reported at Orange Fitness and Play City, as well as at the homes of their directors. Tax authorities reportedly sealed Toyota’s Yerevan office, where Sedrak Kocharyan is a shareholder, while law enforcement officers also entered Pregomesh, a company belonging to Levon Kocharyan’s wife, singer Sirusho.
Robert Kocharyan, who served as Armenia’s second president from 1998 to 2008 and now leads the opposition “Armenia” Alliance, remains one of Pashinyan’s most prominent political opponents.
The timing of the operation has drawn particular attention. Less than 24 hours earlier, Pashinyan and Levon Kocharyan had a heated exchange in parliament. During the same session, Pashinyan raised the assets of former presidents Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan and called on law enforcement and judicial authorities to act over property he said should be recovered by the state.
By early Tuesday, Robert and Sedrak Kocharyan had been taken to the Anti-Corruption Committee, Levon Kocharyan’s home was being searched, and investigative actions were underway at several businesses linked to the family. Their arrests were later confirmed.
The Anti-Corruption Committee has also not yet disclosed the specific accusations against Robert and Sedrak Kocharyan or provided further details of the criminal case.
