Ex-president Kocharyan says he learnt about 0038 Command Order in the scope of the ongoing proceedings

Armenia’s second President Robert Kocharyan, who is charged with overthrowing Armenia’s constitutional order during the March 1-2, 2008 post-election unrest in Yerevan, stated on Thursday that he learnt about the secret Command Order 0038 only in the scope of the ongoing criminal proceedings. 

 

Kocharyan’s statement came during the court hearing underway in Yerevan. 

 

To note,  secret Order no. 0038 was signed on 23 February 2008 by then Armenian Minister of Defense Mikayel Harutyunyan and instructed the Armenian army units to assemble and deploy in Yerevan before 1 March. The prosecutors put the order at the basis of the charges of abusing powers against Kocharyan, considering the involvement of the army in domestic political matters was prohibited by the Constitution of the country. 

 

Speaking of the meeting with the highest military leadership during those days, Kocharyan said: “I was the guarantor of the Constitution and the meeting with  the military leadership at the President’s residence was quite natural amid reports that certain army circles were getting involved into domestic politics,” Kocharyan said, adding the meeting lasted for 20 minutes and no instructions as a result of the meeting were issued by him.  

 

In Kocharyan’s words, he learnt about the mentioned Command order later in the scope of the current criminal investigation.