The Justice of Armenia has imposed this Wednesday preventive detention, for an initial period of at least two months, on Sedrak Kocharián, son of the former Armenian president Robert Kocharián. Both were arrested this same week and are attributed participation in a corruption network that would encompass alleged crimes of bribery, money laundering, and abuse of power.
Kocharián's lawyer, Alexander Kochubayev, has explained that during this time the visits he can receive will be significantly restricted, while awaiting the celebration of the trial against him, according to the newspaper "Armenian Times". Thus, it has been determined that only his wife and children may access the center where he remains detained.
The judicial decision was made a day after father and son were arrested along with four other people as part of the investigations by the Anti-Corruption Committee of Armenia. In parallel, security forces carried out searches at their homes and at a establishment linked to Kocharián's wife.
Among the figures under investigation are also former president Serzh Sargsián, former prime minister Andranik Markarián --who passed away in 2007-- and the former mayor of Yerevan Gaguik Beglarián, among other high officials.
The Prosecutor's Office has detailed that indications of abuse of power, large-scale bribery, and laundering of significant sums of money are being analyzed, as the institution itself has specified.
The case is part of a broader investigation by the Anti-Corruption Committee of Armenia, which reviews transfers made in the name of Sedrak Kocharián between 2001 and 2019, as well as the purchase of more than thirty properties in Armenia and abroad linked to the suspects and several of their relatives.
Russia calls for respect for legality in Armenia
The Kremlin spokesman, Dimitri Peskov, has expressed his desire that the "internal political processes" in Armenia develop "in accordance with the legislation" in force, referring to these recent detentions, about which he has avoided commenting directly.
"I would not like to comment at this moment on the internal political events in Armenia. Very complex processes are unfolding there. I can only express my hope that everything that happens is carried out in strict accordance with the law and that the rights of the participants in the political process of the country are respected," he stated, according to the news agency TASS.
His statements come as supporters of former president Kocharián and sectors of the opposition accuse the current prime minister, Nikol Pashinián, of promoting this criminal procedure for political motivations and in a "strategic" manner.