Key facts
- Former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan and his eldest son were detained on corruption charges.
- Prosecutors allege Kocharyan abused his authority and engaged in bribery and money laundering.
- The investigation concerns allegations of state assets being sold below market value during Kocharyan's presidency (1998-2008).
- Kocharyan's son Sedrak and four others were also detained.
- Former President Serzh Sargsyan was also summoned to the Anti-Corruption Committee.
- Kocharyan's political alliance claims the charges are politically motivated and part of a personal vendetta.
Former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan and his eldest son, Sedrak, were detained Tuesday amid a corruption investigation, with authorities alleging abuse of authority, bribery, and large-scale money laundering. The detentions followed raids on businesses linked to the family and less than 24 hours after Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's younger son, Levon, had a heated exchange with the prime minister in parliament. Armenia's Anti-Corruption Committee is investigating claims that state assets were illegally sold for below market value during Kocharyan's 1998-2008 presidency. Kocharyan's successor, former President Serzh Sargsyan, was also summoned to the committee. Kocharyan's office decried the detentions as politically motivated attacks, while his son Levon accused Pashinyan of pressuring law enforcement. Analysts suggest the case intensifies the conflict between the pro-Russian opposition, which Kocharyan leads, and Pashinyan's pro-Western government, potentially signaling a move against Russian proxies.