1. Robert Kocharyan served as the President of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic from 1994 to 1997 and Prime Minister of Nagorno-Karabakh from 1992 to 1994.
36 Facts About Robert Kocharyan
1. 2.
Robert Kocharyan served as the second President of Armenia between 1998 and 2008 and as Prime Minister of Armenia from 1997 to 1998.
3.
On 26 July 2018 Robert Kocharyan was charged in connection with the crackdown on the 2008 Armenian presidential election protests in the final weeks of his presidency, which resulted in the deaths of ten people.
4.
The trial ended in March 2021 after the Constitutional Court of Armenia declared unconstitutional the article of the criminal code under which Robert Kocharyan was being tried.
5.
Robert Kocharyan returned to active participation in Armenian politics following the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War in 2020.
6.
Robert Kocharyan participated in the 2021 Armenian parliamentary election as the head of the Armenia Alliance with the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and the Reborn Armenia party, which came in second place after Nikol Pashinyan's Civil Contract party and entered parliament as the opposition.
7.
Robert Kocharyan was born on 31 August 1954 in Stepanakert, capital of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast.
8.
Robert Kocharyan received his secondary education in Stepanakert and served in the Soviet Army from 1972 to 1974.
9.
Robert Kocharyan's career began as an engineer at Stepanakert's electro-technical plant in 1971.
10.
In 1991, Robert Kocharyan was elected to the Supreme Soviet of the newly established Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.
11.
Robert Kocharyan became a member of the Pan-Armenian National Movement and its executive board, representing the party in Nagorno-Karabakh.
12.
In January 1992, Robert Kocharyan was a candidate for president of the Supreme Soviet of the NKR, but lost to Artur Mkrtchyan, a member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation.
13.
Robert Kocharyan participated in the Capture of Shusha in May 1992, one of the most significant Armenian victories of the war.
14.
Robert Kocharyan coordinated the war effort of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic in its war against Azerbaijan, which ended in an Armenian victory with the signing of a ceasefire agreement in May 1994 by representatives of Armenia, Azerbaijan and the NKR.
15.
Robert Kocharyan was elected NKR's first president on 24 December 1994 by the decision of the NKR Supreme Soviet.
16.
Robert Kocharyan was reelected by popular vote in November 1996.
17.
On 20 March 1997, Robert Kocharyan left his post as President of the NKR when he was appointed Prime Minister of Armenia by President Levon Ter-Petrosyan.
18.
Robert Kocharyan was supported by Vazgen Sargsyan's Republican Party, as well as the banned Armenian Revolutionary Federation, which he relegalized early in his presidency.
19.
Robert Kocharyan himself negotiated with the terrorists to release the hostages and surrender to police.
20.
In 2001 Robert Kocharyan was attending a jazz performance at Poplavok cafe in Yerevan, and was greeted by former classmate Poghos Poghosyan with the words "Hi Rob".
21.
The casualness of the greeting was taken as an insult, and Robert Kocharyan's bodyguards took Poghosyan into the cafe toilet and killed him.
22.
Robert Kocharyan turned back Mesrop Mashtots Medal awarded by Kocharyan some years ago.
23.
The incumbent President Robert Kocharyan, who was ineligible for a third consecutive term, backed the candidacy of Prime Minister of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan.
24.
Ten people were killed during clashes between police and protestors, and President Robert Kocharyan declared a 20-day state of emergency.
25.
Robert Kocharyan was generally in favor of achieving a "package deal" settlement of the conflict, whereby all issues, including the final status of Nagorno-Karabakh would be resolved in one agreement, rather than a "phased" settlement whereby Armenian forces would withdraw from the territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh in exchange for security guarantees while Karabakh's status would be left for future negotiations.
26.
In October 1999, Robert Kocharyan became the first President of Armenia to visit Azerbaijan, holding talks with Heydar Aliyev at the border of the two countries.
27.
On 13 August 2018, Robert Kocharyan was freed from custody following a court ruling, but remained accused of the charges he was arrested for.
28.
On 7 December 2018, Robert Kocharyan was arrested again following another ruling by the Court of Appeals.
29.
On 18 May 2019, Robert Kocharyan was freed on bail from pre-trial detention.
30.
Robert Kocharyan was again released a year later, on 18 June 2020, on bail.
31.
The visit never occurred as Robert Kocharyan tested positive for COVID-19.
32.
Robert Kocharyan declared his support for Vazgen Manukyan, who was nominated by a coalition of 17 opposition parties, known as the Homeland Salvation Movement, to lead an interim national unity government.
33.
In January 2021, Robert Kocharyan declared his intention to participate in the next elections.
34.
Robert Kocharyan declined to take his seat in the National Assembly and continues to lead the Armenia Alliance outside of parliament.
35.
Robert Kocharyan has long supported Armenia's close ties with Russia and considers Vladimir Putin a friend and ally.
36.
Robert Kocharyan and his wife, Bella Kocharyan, have three children: Sedrak, Gayane, and Levon, all of whom were born in Stepanakert.