Robert Kocharyan

Last updated: May 29, 2026

Robert Kocharyan served as President of Armenia from 1998 to 2008, making him the second president of the post-Soviet republic. Before that he served as President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic from 1994 to 1997 and as Prime Minister of Armenia. His decade in power shaped the political and economic landscape of the country and its approach to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

After leaving the presidency, Kocharyan faced criminal prosecution under the Pashinyan government on charges related to the March 2008 post-election crackdown, a case that became a focal point of the political struggle between the ruling party and the opposition. He was eventually acquitted and returned to active political life as the leader of the Armenia Alliance (Hayastan Dashinq), an opposition coalition that includes the ARF and other forces.

With more than 60 episodes of coverage, Groong has followed Kocharyan’s legal battles, his political comeback, his leadership of the opposition coalition, and the Armenia Alliance’s positions on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, the peace process with Azerbaijan, and Armenia’s geopolitical orientation. He is one of the central figures in the contest for power heading into the June 2026 parliamentary elections.

Lost in Artsakh | Law on Mass Media | Political Scene in Yerevan | Economic Outlook (Ep #48) [EP48]

Posted on Tuesday, Feb 9, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Artsakh, Economy, Iran, China, Turkey, Nagorno Karabakh | Series: wir

Guest(s):

ANN/Groong Week in Review Episode 48 - February 7, 2021

Topics Covered:

  • Lost in Artsakh, Thirsty in Syunik
  • Amending the Law on Mass Media
  • Update on the Political Scene in Yerevan
  • Rising National Debt, Inflation and Interest Rates

Guests

  • Hrant Mikaelian
  • Emil Sanamyan

Your Hosts:

  • Hovik Manucharyan
  • Asbed Bedrossian

Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20210207.html Recorded: February 7, 2021

Conversation with Aram Vardevanyan (Ep #41) - 01/13/2021 [EP41]

Posted on Wednesday, Jan 13, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Human Rights, Azerbaijan, Artsakh, Israel, Russia, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh Blockade | Series: cog

Guest(s):

Conversation with Aram Vardevanyan - 01/13/2021

Since Nikol Pashinyan came to power in 2018, and prior to the Artsakh war of 2020, issues around the Armenian constitution and constitutional court have been in the center of public attention. These issues have been partly fueled by one of the most prominent legal cases in recent Armenian history, the March 1 trial against Armenian president Robert Kocharyan and military leadership at the time. We’ll explore issues surrounding the March 1 case, as well as legal and specifically constitutional questions related

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Turkey & Azerbaijan Connecting | Opposition Uniting | Putin support? | Kocharyan Interview Ep. 30 - Dec. 6, 2020 [EP30]

Posted on Monday, Dec 7, 2020 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh, Turkey, Russia, Economy, Iran, China, Geopolitics, Middle East | Series: wir

ANN/Groong Week in Review - Dec 6, 2020

Topics:

  • Turkey and Azerbaijan Connecting
  • Armenia’s Political Opposition Uniting
  • Does Putin support Pashinyan?
  • Robert Kocharyan Interview

Guests:

Episode 30 | Recorded: Dec 6, 2020

War & Diplomacy: Minsk Group, Iran, Geneva | Support from Ex-presidents | Update on War (Ep. 25) [EP25]

Posted on Tuesday, Nov 3, 2020 | Category: Armenia, Iran, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan | Series: wir

Guest(s):

ANN/Groong Week in Review Episode 25 - Nov 1, 2020

Topics Covered:

  • Summary of diplomatic activities
  • Iranian mediation offers
  • Negotiations in Geneva
  • Support from ex-presidents
  • Latest update on the war

Your Hosts:

Resident Panelists:

Recorded: Oct 30, 2020

ANN/Groong Week in Review - (Ep #11) - 08/30/2020 [EP11]

Posted on Sunday, Aug 30, 2020 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics, Azerbaijan, Russia, Syria, Artsakh, Lebanon, USA, Middle East, Turkey, Nagorno Karabakh, European Union | Series: wir

ANN/Groong Week in Review - 08/30/2020

Topics:

  • Armenian POW Gurgen Alaverdyan
  • Armenia’s Humanitarian Aid to Aleppo
  • Serge Sargsyan’s Interview and the Four-Day War Deliberations
  • National Awards
  • Vagharshak Harutyunyan’s Appointment as Chief Advisor to Pashinyan

Guests:

  • Asbed Kotchikian
  • Emil Sanamyan
  • Alen Zamanyan

Guest(s):

Hosts:

  • Hovik Manucharyan
  • Asbed Bedrossian

Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20200830.html Episode 11 | Recorded on August 30 2020

Constitutional Court Standoff | Polls | Armenia Response to COVID | Armenian Media | Headlines | People in the News | Ep 1 - Jul 12, 2020 [EP1]

Posted on Sunday, Jul 12, 2020 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Politics, Poll, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Economy, China, Turkey, Armenian Genocide | Series: wir

ANN/Groong Week in Review - 07/12/2020

Topics:

  • The Constitutional Court Standoff Continues in Limbo
  • Polls, and what you should know about them
  • The Armenian Government’s response to COVID-19
  • The State of Armenian Media: Media Freedoms During Covid

Guests:

Episode 1 | Recorded on July 12, 2020