Kocharian is accused of illegally ordering security forces to use force against opposition supporters who were protesting against alleged fraud in a disputed presidential election in February 2008.

Eight protesters and two police officers were killed when security forces quelled the two days of protests that began on March 1, 2008. The crackdown came after Kocharian declared a three-week state of emergency.

The 64-year-old ex-president, who served as president from 1998 to 2008, has remained in pretrial detention since his arrest in December.

Kocharian denies any wrongdoing, saying that the accusations are part of incumbent Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian's political "vendetta" against him.

Pashinian, a former opposition lawmaker, was swept to power last year after leading protests that ousted Kocharian's former ally and successor, Serzh Sarkisian.

Pashinian played a key role in the 2008 protests and spent nearly two years in prison because of it.

He has strongly defended the criminal case against Kocharian and denied orchestrating it.