Robert Kocharyan

President of Armenia

31 August 1954 Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast, Soviet Union

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9 April 1998 – 9 April 2008 Acting: 4 February – 9 April 1998

1st President of Artsakh Robert KocharyanՌոբերտ Քոչարյան Official portrait, c. 2008–09 2nd President of ArmeniaIn office 9 April 1998 – 9 April 2008 Acting: 4 February – 9 April 1998Prime Minister Armen Darbinyan Vazgen Sargsyan Aram Sargsyan Andranik Margaryan Serzh SargsyanPreceded by Levon Ter-PetrosyanSucceeded by Serzh Sargsyan6th Prime Minister of ArmeniaIn office 20 March 1997 – 10 April 1998PresidentLevon Ter-PetrosyanPreceded by Armen SargsyanSucceeded by Armen Darbinyan1st President of Nagorno-KarabakhIn office 29 December 1994 – 20 March 1997Prime Minister Leonard PetrosyanPreceded by Garen Baburyan  (Acting)Succeeded by Leonard Petrosyan (Acting)2nd Prime Minister of Nagorno-KarabakhIn office August 1992 – 29 December 1994PresidentGeorgy Petrosyan (Acting) Garen Baburyan (Acting)Preceded by Oleg YesayanSucceeded by Leonard Petrosyan Personal detailsBorn (1954-08-31 ) 31 August 1954 (age 66) Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast, Soviet Union Political partyIndependentOther political affiliationsArmenia AllianceSpouse(s)Bella KocharyanChildrenSedrak Gayane LevonAlma materNational Polytechnic University of ArmeniaSignatureWebsiterobertkocharyan.am Robert Sedraki Kocharyan (Armenian: Ռոբերտ Սեդրակի Քոչարյան pronounced  ; born 31 August 1954) is an Armenian politician. He served as the President of Nagorno-Karabakh from 1994 to 1997, Prime Minister of Nagorno-Karabakh from 1992 to 1994. He was previously serving as the second President of Armenia between 1998 and 2008, Prime Minister of Armenia from 1997 to 1998. Kocharyan was elected president of Armenia twice, in 1998 and 2003; both presidential elections were held in two rounds. During most of his presidency, between 2001 and 2007, Armenia's economy grew on average by 12% annually, largely due to a construction boom. While Kocharyan's supporters credit him with securing Armenia's economic growth during his presidency, his critics accuse him of promoting corruption and the creation of an oligarchic system of government in Armenia. On July 26, 2018 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. Kocharyan's trial began on 13 May 2019. The trial ended in March 2021 after the Constitutional Court of Armenia declared unconstitutional the article of the criminal code under which Kocharyan was being tried. Kocharyan returned to active participation in Armenian politics following the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war. He participated in the 2021 Armenian parliamentary election as the head of the Armenia Alliance with the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and the Reborn Armenia party, losing to Nikol Pashinyan and the Civil Contract party.