Detention and charges

Former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan and his eldest son Sedrak were detained on Tuesday after law enforcement officers raided businesses linked to the family, the country's Anti-Corruption Committee said. A case was opened against Kocharyan, 71, on charges of abuse of authority, bribery and large-scale money laundering, according to Armenia's Prosecutor General's Office. Besides Kocharyan and Sedrak, four other people were detained as part of the investigation, the office said.

The Anti-Corruption Committee said assets were allegedly obtained illegally. The committee's spokeswoman, Marina Ogandzhanyan, announced the detention on her Facebook page, writing that the anti-corruption court, led by Judge S. Dadoyan, had fully approved the investigator's petition to place Kocharyan in custody as a preventive measure.

Health and court proceedings

On Wednesday night, Kocharyan was hospitalized after his health deteriorated, according to TASS. About two weeks ago, he underwent heart surgery, the Russian state news agency reported.

Political context

The raids came less than 24 hours after Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan clashed with Kocharyan's younger son, Levon, in a fiery exchange in parliament, as reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Kocharyan leads parliament's second-largest opposition bloc. His son accused the prime minister of political pressure, according to the same report.