The Anti-Corruption Committee announced that four of the six people arrested during yesterday’s large-scale law enforcement operation have been remanded in custody, including Sedrak Kocharyan, the eldest son of former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan.
A fifth defendant has been placed under house arrest. According to available information, that person is Aramayis Voskanyan, while his wife and two daughters have been remanded in custody.
The sixth arrested person is Robert Kocharyan, who remains hospitalized after his health deteriorated while in custody. The court is expected to consider the prosecution’s request for a preventive measure against him after he completes the necessary medical examinations.
Former President Serzh Sargsyan, who was also formally charged in connection with the same case, was not arrested. A travel restriction has been imposed on him, barring him from leaving the country.
The arrests were carried out as part of a criminal case involving alleged large-scale money laundering, abuse of official powers and bribery.
The operation began early Tuesday morning with searches at dozens of locations linked to Robert Kocharyan, members of his family and associated businesses. The case has since expanded to include a number of former officials, businessmen and company directors.
Criminal prosecution was also initiated against nine additional people, including former Yerevan mayor Gagik Beglaryan, businessman Samvel Mayrapetyan and Andranik Margaryan, who died in 2007.
The operation comes amid an escalating campaign by Pashinyan’s government against opposition figures. Robert Kocharyan leads the opposition “Armenia” Alliance, while his younger son, MP Levon Kocharyan, had a heated confrontation with Nikol Pashinyan in parliament less than 24 hours before the searches began. During the same session, Pashinyan raised the issue of property belonging to Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan and publicly called on law enforcement and judicial authorities to act.
