Kocharian and His Family Were Aware of the Criminal Case and Arrest in Advance: Taron Chakhoyan

During a discussion on the election of the chairman of the Standing Committee on Territorial Administration and Environmental Protection in the National Assembly, Taron Chakhoyan, a member of the ruling Civil Contract faction, attempted to deny that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan gives instructions to law enforcement bodies.

Referring to the case involving Robert Kocharian and his family, Chakhoyan stated, “Robert Kocharian and his family were informed in advance about the criminal case and the upcoming arrest.”

He continued, “That is why two days ago, in the presence of the Prime Minister, Kocharian Jr., Levon Kocharian, escalated the rhetoric during the PM's Q&A session by making insults. The Prime Minister's statement was made so that later they could try to twist it and say, ‘Look, he came from the National Assembly podium and directly instructed the law enforcement system.’”

Taron Chakhoyan added, “You were informed about these processes in advance, and let me say more: your children were supposed to be away from home that day, but knowing that the law enforcement system was coming for a search, your children were at home. You even managed to prepare a placard and put it up saying ‘Welcome, NSS,’ because you were expecting them. But I must disappoint you in this regard as well—we will be cutting off the hands of your informants, of course, in accordance with the law, and employees of the law enforcement system serving you will be held strictly accountable before the law.”