Armenian authorities detain former president Robert Kocharyan on multiple corruption counts

State prosecutors in Armenia reported the detention of former president Robert Kocharyan and the filing of a comprehensive corruption case against him. According to the prosecutor general, Kocharyan used his presidential office to transfer publicly owned property to himself and close associates under favorable terms and to hide the illicit origins of those assets. The indictment lists money laundering, receipt of bribes and abuse of power as the core offenses.

In addition to Kocharyan, nine individuals, among them one of his sons, have been charged in connection with the scheme. Kocharyan, now the leader of the Armenia Alliance, the country's second-largest opposition faction, has previously denied wrongdoing and was previously tried over the 2008 post-election unrest, a case that was later dismissed. His attorney, Aram Orbelyan, has not provided an immediate comment on the new charges.