Mary Lawlor, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, has responded to a statement by the Armenian Center for Political Rights (ACPR) regarding the detention and prosecution of lawyer and rights activist Alexander Kochubayev.
Lawlor condemned the criminal charges brought against Kochubayev and urged the Armenian authorities to immediately drop the case.
“I welcome the release of Armenian lawyer and human rights defender Alexander Kochubayev from pre-trial detention, but I strongly condemn the criminal charges against him and call on the Armenian authorities to drop them immediately.
Mr. Kochubayev is being prosecuted for criticizing the unjust persecution of clergy from the Armenian Apostolic Church who led peaceful protests in 2024,” Lawlor wrote on her official Facebook page.
Kochubayev was initially detained for two months but was released early due to a sudden deterioration in his wife's health condition.
