Abgar Poghosyan, a member of the legal defense team for detained lawyer Alexander Kochubayev, stated that his client’s Facebook post does not contain any criminal elements, describing it as a strong expression of criticism.
“The statement targeted individuals who ‘sold their souls to the devil.’ So who exactly is supposed to take this personally?” Poghosyan told Pastinfo, adding that the arrest is clearly punitive and demonstrative in nature.
“It’s obvious Kochubayev had no intention to flee,” he said, pointing out that pre-trial detention should only be used in exceptional circumstances. In this case, he argued, the arrest was excessive and appears to be politically motivated.
According to Poghosyan, this move is not just an attack on Kochubayev but sends a broader signal against the entire human rights and legal defense community.
“Imagine how ordinary citizens feel when they see defenders of their rights being silenced this way. This is about creating fear. But if anyone thinks they can silence Kochubayev through repression, they are seriously mistaken,” he said.
Poghosyan noted that it’s still unclear who the “injured party” is in this case or which investigator, prosecutor, or judge considered the statement personally offensive. He referenced the European Court of Human Rights’ position that public officials must tolerate criticism, especially in matters of public interest.
The defense has not yet received a copy of the court’s ruling on pre-trial detention but plans to appeal it once received. While Poghosyan did not disclose the full details of the motion, he emphasized that the case involves a mid-level offense and that Kochubayev represents numerous citizens. His isolation, therefore, infringes upon the rights of many others.
“In this situation, the harshest preventive measure was chosen, including a complete ban on communication rights,” Poghosyan said.
On October 16, Alexander Kochubayev was detained by National Security Service agents near the Shengavit seat of Yerevan’s Criminal Court of General Jurisdiction. The arrest was reportedly triggered by his Facebook post criticizing law enforcement for the arrest of Archbishop Mkrtich. Prosecutors charged him under Article 490, Part 2 of the Criminal Code, which penalizes public statements about judges, prosecutors, or investigators that damage their legal interests in relation to their duties. On October 17, Judge Masis Melkonyan ordered his two-month detention.
