Past daily writes:
Armenia’s second President Robert Kocharyan appeared at yesterday’s court hearing in high spirits and with his characteristically upright posture, seemingly unaffected by the month he has spent in detention. However, according to information obtained by the newspaper, the situation is different, even though the former president remains composed and does not complain.
Members of his inner circle say there are serious problems with his detention conditions. They note that Kocharyan’s previous three periods in custody were hardly a walk in the park, but claim that the difficulties facing the former president and his son this time are being imposed with particular diligence.
According to the newspaper’s sources, the detention conditions fail to meet even the minimum standards prescribed by law. The former president is reportedly being held in the darkest and smallest cell in the “KGB basement.” Although intended for one person, the cell has reportedly been fitted with a bunk bed, seemingly to make the five-by-three-meter space even more cramped and uncomfortable. There is no chair or table where Kocharyan could do basic work or simply sit.
The Human Rights Defender reportedly documented these conditions during a visit and, according to the newspaper’s information, even contacted the relevant authorities. Nevertheless, the problems have remained unresolved for a month.
The newspaper’s sources also say visits are severely restricted. Apart from his lawyers, only family members are allowed to visit, and only twice a month. Visits by members of his political team are prohibited. Even National Assembly MPs, who should be able to visit any person held in detention, are forced to communicate with their de facto political leader through lawyers—a situation the newspaper describes as absurd.
Kocharyan’s associates reportedly do not attribute these circumstances solely to Pashinyan’s public instructions. They believe there is also a separate, targeted effort to cause discomfort in every minor detail.
There is a view within his circle that all this is being done on the orders of the recently appointed head of the Yerevan-Kentron penitentiary, Robert Tamaryan. The newspaper links his appointment to his being the husband of Anush Melkonyan, a hairdresser and friend of Anna Hakobyan. Tamaryan’s career advanced rapidly after 2018, taking him from a specialist position in the system to head of the penitentiary in 2025.
