Khachaturov relieved from the post of CSTO Secretary General

ArmInfo. Yuri Khachaturov left the post of CSTO Secretary General.

The CSTO press service told ArmInfo that in accordance with the  established procedure, the procedure for early withdrawal from the  post of Secretary-General of the Collective Security Treaty  Organization representative of the Republic of Armenia Yury  Khachaturov, initiated by the Armenian side, has been completed.

"By the decision of the Collective Security Council of the CSTO,  Khachaturov was relieved of the post of Secretary General of the  Organization. The duties of the Secretary General of the CSTO are  entrusted to the Deputy Secretary General of the CSTO Semerikov  Valery Anatolyevich," CSTO informs.

To recall, CSTO Secretary General Yuri Khachaturov is accused of  overthrowing the constitutional order in the so-called "March 1, 2008  case." At that time he held the post of the head of the Yerevan  garrison. By a court decision of July 28, he was arrested and then  released on bail in the amount of 5 million drams. The second  Armenian President Robert Kocharyan is alos accused within the same  case, as well as the former head of the Ministry of Defense of  Armenia Mikael Harutyunyan who is on the wanted list. On August 2,  the Special Investigative Service stated that the measure of  restraint chosen against Yuri Khachaturov is not an obstacle for him  to leave Armenia for some time. At the same time, the SIS did not  detail the permissible period of his absence.  Official Yerevan  proposed CSTO counterparts to consider the possibility of replacing  the CSTO Secretary General from Armenia in connection with the  criminal prosecution of Yuri Khachaturov.  Yesterday in Moscow,  President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian has already announced that the  procedure for recalling Khachaturov has begun. Meanwhile, the Foreign  Ministry of Armenia today hastened with a new statement that Armenia  cannot withdraw the CSTO Secretary General, since he is not a  representative of the republic, but the head of the organization. "A  decision may be taken on replacing the secretary general on the basis  of a collective decision of member countries," the RA MFA said,  informing that Armenia had initiated the process of considering the  replacement of Khachaturov.  However. Khachaturov was recalled from  the post of the CSTO Secretary General.