Armenian authorities have detained former President Robert Kocharyan and formally accused him of corruption-related offences linked to the alleged acquisition of valuable state assets
during his decade in power.
The Anti-Corruption Committee said on Tuesday that Kocharyan, who served as Armenia’s president from 1998 to 2008, allegedly used his official position and cooperation with people close to him to remove valuable properties from state ownership and acquire them at prices substantially below their market value. The authorities said six people had been detained in connection with the investigation, including Kocharyan and his eldest son, Sedrak Kocharyan.
Investigators allege that the properties were transferred through various transactions designed to conceal their true ownership and the alleged criminal origin of the assets. According to the Anti-Corruption Committee, some properties were registered in the names of companies affiliated with Kocharyan's family or associates and were later developed, sold, transferred to third parties or disposed of through company-share transactions and donations.
Among the properties cited in the investigation is an 8.3-hectare plot in Yerevan near Acharian and Tsarav Aghbyur streets. Authorities say it was acquired for about 44.7 million Armenian drams and later became the site of the Play City entertainment complex.
Investigators are also examining a roughly two-hectare plot in the area of Yerevan's Cascade complex. According to the authorities, it was initially acquired for approximately 39.6 million drams, subsequently exchanged for another state-owned plot in a more favourable location and eventually sold for about 1.74 billion drams.
Another allegation concerns a property on Paronyan Street in Yerevan. Investigators say premises with an estimated market value of around 331.8 million drams, together with parking spaces, were transferred to Kocharyan's son through transactions they describe as fictitious. Authorities are also investigating the former Kaputak Sevan resort complex and a large property on Tsitsernakaberd Highway, where the Orange Fitness centre was subsequently developed.
The investigation goes beyond property transactions. Armenian authorities allege that 56 properties worth a combined 2.634 billion drams were transferred as a bribe connected to the removal from state ownership and subsequent sale of the Officers' House building, a listed historical and cultural monument, as well as an unfinished building on Nalbandyan Street.
Investigators are separately examining the sale of land belonging to Armenia's Defence Ministry near Admiral Isakov Avenue. The authorities estimate the combined market value of the plots at approximately 1.394 billion drams and allege that they were sold for around one-quarter of that amount to a company linked to a person close to Kocharyan.
According to the Anti-Corruption Committee, investigators believe the transaction was connected to the establishment of Toyota's representative operation in Armenia. Authorities allege that a 30% stake in Toyota Yerevan was transferred to Kocharyan in 2006 and later registered in his son's name through transactions allegedly intended to disguise its origin.
The case also includes an examination of substantial financial transfers made in Sedrak Kocharyan's name between 2001 and 2019. Investigators say the transactions amounted to approximately 144 billion Armenian drams, $309 million, €77 million and 18 billion Russian roubles. Authorities are also examining more than three dozen properties in Armenia and abroad connected to people involved in the case and their relatives. Restrictions have reportedly been imposed on some assets to prevent their sale or transfer while the investigation continues.
The detention follows a broader intensification of Armenia's anti-corruption campaign and efforts to recover assets allegedly obtained unlawfully. In its 2025 activity report, Armenia's Prosecutor General's Office said 124 properties had been returned to state or community ownership during the year, with a preliminary value of about 66.9 billion drams. The office also reported that, as of March 2026, 166 asset-confiscation claims were before Armenian courts, with a combined claimed value exceeding 612 billion drams.
Kocharyan's legal position has also become increasingly significant in Armenia's political landscape. In June, the Central Election Commission approved a request to lift his parliamentary immunity after his political alliance secured seats in the country's parliamentary elections. His lawyer had previously disputed prosecutors' interpretation of a transaction dating from Kocharyan's presidency, arguing that the former president and his family were not involved in the original government-approved deal.
The latest investigation therefore places one of Armenia's most prominent political figures at the centre of a far-reaching corruption case involving alleged abuse of presidential authority, state property transactions and suspected bribery.
The accusations remain allegations at this stage. Kocharyan's response to the latest charges was not immediately available, and any criminal responsibility would have to be established by a final court judgment. Photo by Limegirl, Wikimedia commons.
