While Armenia’s Court of Appeals is scheduled to review the case of releasing former Armenian president from pre-trial detention today, Sasun Khachatryan, who heads the country’s Special Investigative Service, strongly opposes such a move.

“I argue that it’s in the best interest of the preliminary investigation that Robert Kocharyan remain in detention,” Khachatryan said.

Kocharyan, Armenia’s second president, has been charged with usurping state power in March 2008 to quell public protests following the presidential election that saw Serzh Sargsyan come to power. Ten died during the March 1-2 protests.

Khachatryan believes the possibility that Kocharyan can influence the judicial process is much reduced if he remains detained.

A court has approved a two-month detention for Kocharyan.