A former Armenian president is detained in a corruption investigation

Former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan and his eldest son Sedrak were detained on Tuesday in a corruption investigation, according to the country’s Anti-Corruption Committee. The raid targeted businesses linked to the family. Kocharyan, 71, who leads the second-largest opposition bloc in parliament, faces charges of abuse of authority, bribery, and large-scale money laundering.

The investigation stems from allegations that state assets were illegally sold to private companies at below market value during his tenure from 1998 to 2008. Four other individuals were also detained in connection with the probe. The Anti-Corruption Committee stated that the detentions constitute "yet another attack on President Kocharyan and his family" by authorities.

Kocharyan's son accused Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of exerting political pressure on the judiciary and law enforcement agencies. Pashinyan, in turn, questioned Levon Kocharyan about the source of his family's wealth, urging any assets acquired at public expense to be returned to the state.