Armenia's Anti-Corruption Court has ordered former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan's pretrial detention for two months. The decision was made on the evening of August 26, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Armenian Service.

Kocharyan himself was in the hospital at the time of the ruling. The previous day, the court began considering the investigators' motion to remand him in custody. The former president was initially brought to the hearing, but his condition then worsened, and he was returned to the hospital. The hearing continued without him.

Robert Kocharyan was detained on August 25 following a search and taken to the Anti-Corruption Committee of Armenia. There, according to reports, he became ill and was subsequently hospitalized. The former president's son, Levon Kocharyan, said his father had heart problems and had undergone surgery two weeks earlier.

Investigators have charged the former head of state with abuse of office, large-scale money laundering, and accepting a particularly large bribe. According to investigators, Kocharyan and his close associates used their positions to misappropriate state property and acquire significant assets at prices allegedly significantly below market value.

The previous day, the former president's eldest son, Sedrak Kocharyan, was remanded in custody as part of the same case. Ten people are currently under investigation, including former President Serzh Sargsyan, former Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan, former Yerevan Mayor Gagik Beglaryan, and Aramayis Vorskanyan, head of the Aygedzor company.
Six people were reportedly detained in connection with the case, and searches were conducted at several dozen addresses.