The attorney for Soghomon Kocharyan, now serving his 20th year in prison for the murder of an Iranian citizen, has petitioned Armenia’s Prosecutor General to reopen the case given recent revelations in the autobiography written by the original prosecuting attorney regarding the intervention of Iran in the legal proceeding.

In his petition to Prosecutor General Gevorg Kostanyan, Robert Revazyan (Kocharyan’s lawyer) claims that his client was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death due to political pressure exerted by Iran in a court case rife with legal violations.

Revazyan has asked the prosecutor general to launch a criminal case into the matter.

In his autobiography, state prosecutor ZhirayrKharatyan, writes that when he found out about the Iranian meddling he decided to write an official note about the matter, express his opinion, and then resign.

This is the passage on the Kocharyan case that appears in his Kharatyan’sautobiography:

“In the reception room it became clear that we would have to wait since the Iranian ambassador was meeting with the prosecutor general. The prosecutor general [ArtavazdGevorgyan-Z.M.], who had been my instructor and who had appointed me to that position, explained to me in confidence that there was no other option, that the ambassador was demanding the maximum punishment. Otherwise, he would unleash a big scandal.”

Revazyan told Hetq that the Prosecutor General’s Office is legally obligated to respond to his petition within ten days.

“We believe that the prosecutor at the time was primary source of the intervention. I won’t even talk about the meddling of the ambassador of that country. It is clear that the prosecutor general of our government was also subject to that pressure. As a consequence, Soghomon Kocharyan was sentenced to death,” Revazyan told Hetq.

Readers will note that Robert Revazyan has recently filed a complaint with Prosecutor General Kostanyan regarding the decision not to reopen the case given these new revelations.

Top photo: Armenian Prosecutor General Gevorg Kostanyan, Soghomon Kocharyan

2nd photo: Robert Revazyan