Robert Kocharyan, a former president of Armenia who served from 1998 to 2008, has been detained by state prosecutors on corruption charges related to alleged money laundering, receiving bribes, and abuse of power. According to the prosecutor general, Kocharyan used his position to transfer state-owned property to himself and associates at favorable terms while concealing its "criminal origin". The 71-year-old leader of the Armenia Alliance opposition bloc is charged alongside nine other individuals, including one of his sons, in connection with the alleged scheme. This is not Kocharyan's first arrest related to corruption allegations, as he was previously arrested in 2019 for his conduct following a disputed election in 2008.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-25,
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Story summary
State prosecutors in Armenia detained former president Robert Kocharyan, a prominent opposition leader, on August 25, charging him with corruption-related offenses from his time in office from 1998 to 2008. Prosecutors claim that Kocharyan used his position to transfer state-owned property to himself and his associates at "advantageous terms", and to conceal the "criminal origin" of that property. The charges include money laundering, receiving bribes, and abuse of power. Kocharyan, who is 71 years old, was also accused of using his position for personal gain with the help of nine other individuals, including one of his sons. This move is significant as Kocharyan is the leader of the Armenia Alliance, the second-largest opposition bloc in parliament.
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State prosecutors in Armenia detain ex-president Kocharyan on corruption charges
Aug 25 -
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State prosecutors in Armenia on Tuesday detained Robert Kocharyan, a prominent opposition leader and a former president, and formally charged him with a slew of corruption-related offences during his time in office.
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Armenia's prosecutor general said in a statement that Kocharyan, who served as president from 1998 to 2008, had used his then-official position to transfer state-owned property to himself and his associates at "advantageous terms", and to conceal the "criminal origin" of that property.
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who → say → property
It was not immediately clear how Kocharyan responded to the accusations, though he has previously denied any wrongdoing during his time in office.
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Aram Orbelyan, a lawyer for him, was not in an immediate position to reply to a request for comment.
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Prosecutors said they had charged Kocharyan, 71, with money laundering, receiving bribes and abuse of power.
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they → say → power
Nine other individuals, including one of his sons, were also charged in connection with the alleged scheme.
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He was previously arrested and put on trial in 2019 for his conduct following a disputed election in March 2008 when at least ten people were killed in clashes between police and protesters.
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The charges were later dropped and the trial ended in 2021.
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Critics have long accused Kocharyan and his former allies of cracking down on democracy and engaging in corruption during their time in power.
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They have repeatedly denied those allegations.
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