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The lawyers representing Armenia’s second President Robert Kocharyan in the criminal case alleging his complicity in 2008 post-election events, have filed a motion to recuse judge Artur Mkrtchyan set to hear their bail plea, citing lack of grounds for assigning the case to him.

Kocharyan’s lawyer Aram Orbelyan told reporters on Tuesday he is dissatisfied with the court arguments for the selection of the judge to examine the motion seeking to free Kocharyan from pre-trial arrest on bail.

“The court set to deal with a case must be formed legally. It isn’t clear why the case has been assigned specifically to judge Arthur Mkrtchyan from the 9-10 duty judges,” he said, calling the formed court ‘arbitrary and unlawful’.

The lawyer also added state prosecutors have objected their motion.

Presiding judge Nelly Baghdasaryan recused herself last week from hearing the bail plea of Armenia’s second President Robert Kocharyan. The move came after the state persecutors filed a self-withdrawal motion to the court. Earlier, judge David Grigoryan stated about his recusal.

Kocharyan’s lawyers filed a motion to a Yerevan court of general jurisdiction to free the ex-president on bail on 26 December 2018, asking the court to determine its amount. On December 28, the court delayed the hearing of the appeal following one of the prosecutor’s argument that the working day was over, rescheduling it on January 9.

Kocharyan, who is charged with overthrowing Armenia’s constitutional order during the March 1-2, 2008 post-election events, is currently in custody pending trial.

The ex-president and his lawyers strongly deny the charges as ‘politically motivated’.