“Kocharian asked me, can you arrest Vano Siradeghyan if you become Prime Minister?”: Aram Sarkisyan

Aram Sarkisyan, the president of the Republic party, today addressed remarks made by Armenia's second president Robert Kocharian during an appearance on "Factor". Kocharian recently stated that he has not sought revenge on anyone.

“Perhaps he or those around him believe what he is saying, but that is simply not the case. During Kocharian's tenure, there were numerous instances of revenge. I can provide an example: when we were in his cabinet, he proposed appointing me as Prime Minister and asked, ‘If you become Prime Minister, can you arrest Vano Siradeghyan?’ He said this directly to me in his cabinet. If he claims that I am lying, he will sin before God,” Sarkisyan recounted.

He continued, “I replied asking why I would arrest Siradeghyan. If he has committed a sin, then he should be punished; the Prime Minister has nothing to do with that, and according to the Constitution, I do not have such powers. I cannot remember what prompted that question, and at the time, there was no justification for it; that question was simply in the air, and that is why Vano Siradeghyan left Armenia. He left not because he feared being judged, but because he believed Kocharian was so vindictive that he would be killed.”