State prosecutors in Armenia detain ex-president Kocharyan on corruption charges

State prosecutors in Armenia on Tuesday detained Robert Kocharyan, a prominent opposition leader and a former president, and formally charged him with a slew of corruption-related offences during his time in office.

Armenia's prosecutor general said in a statement that Kocharyan, who served as president from 1998 to 2008, had used his then-official position to transfer state-owned property to himself and his associates at "advantageous terms", and to conceal the "criminal origin" of that property.

It was not immediately clear how Kocharyan responded to the accusations, though he has previously denied any wrongdoing during his time in office. Aram Orbelyan, a lawyer for him, was not in an immediate position to reply to a request for comment.

Prosecutors said they had charged Kocharyan, 71, with money laundering, receiving bribes and abuse of power. Nine other individuals, including one of his sons, were also charged in connection with the alleged scheme.

Kocharyan is the leader of the Armenia Alliance, the second-largest opposition bloc in parliament. He was previously arrested and put on trial in 2019 for his conduct following a disputed election in March 2008 when at least ten people were killed in clashes between police and protesters. The charges were later dropped and the trial ended in 2021.

Critics have long accused Kocharyan and his former allies of cracking down on democracy and engaging in corruption during their time in power. They have repeatedly denied those allegations.