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The Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction has turned down the motion filed by the lawyers of Armenia’s second President Robert Kocharyan to recuse judge Artur Mkrtchyan set to hear their bail plea.

The defense team has asked the court to disqualify the judge set to examine a motion of the ex-president to free him from pre-trial arrest on bail, claiming the court dealing with the case was formed ‘illegally’.

One of the ex-president’s lawyers, Hayk Alumyan told reporters the court has rejected the motion on grounds that a court chairman is entitled to assign a case to one of the on-duty judges at his/her discretion.

“This argument is unacceptable for us, but we cannot appeal it or take any other measures. We have to take part in the examination of this case with that judge,” he said, adding the court hearing on releasing Kocharyan on bail was set to start at 2:30pm.

Kocharyan’s lawyers filed a motion to the Yerevan court to free the ex-president on bail on 26 December 2018, asking the court to determine its amount. Meantime, the investigators have petitioned the court to extend the pre-trial arrest of the former president.