Authorities’ goal is not to solve the case but to blame specific people: Levon Kocharyan on October 27 case

Levon Kocharyan, an MP from the Armenia faction, spoke to journalists about the October 27 terrorist attack case and the discussions about who may have ordered it, stressing that it is utterly unacceptable and offensive to him and his family when attempts are made to shift the blame elsewhere.

“Besides being a tragic day for our statehood and our country, it was also a personal tragedy for our family, as friends of our family were among those killed,” he said.

According to Kocharyan, after the tragedy the preliminary investigation was conducted under the oversight of people whose relatives were killed in the attack. He also recalled that the investigation was led by Gagik Jhangiryan, who was appointed at the request of Vazgen Sargsyan’s family and later held senior posts under the current authorities as well.

“The question seems to be framed as if it is a long-established fact that there was someone who ordered the attack and has yet to be identified. Frankly, I do not know whether that is true or not, but I do know for certain that the people who committed the crime that day were arrested, and some of them are still serving their sentences in penitentiary institutions,” he noted.

Kocharyan also questioned whether the current authorities “really” want to clarify the unresolved circumstances of the case.

“If we assume that a case remains unsolved and the authorities want to solve it, I do not think that is their motivation. As in many other cases, including the March 1 case, I believe the goal of these authorities is not to solve anything, but to present specific people as guilty and then provide a legal basis for these assumptions,” the MP said.