Defense team files motion to change detention measure, suspend criminal prosecution against ex-president Kocharyan
The defense team of Armenia’s ex-President Robert Kocharyan filed motion on Saturday to the Yerevan court of general Jurisdiction to lift the arrest as the preventive detention measure and suspend the criminal prosecution. In the motion addressee to the chairman of the court the lawyers also requested for urgent consideration and hearing of the matter.
The filing of the new motion came a day after the Constitutional Court of Armenia published the decision on determining the constitutionality of two articles of the Armenian Code of Procedural Justice regarding the ex-president’s arrest. The Court cited in its decision the constitutional provision of immunity of high-level officials from prosecution, partly approving the ex-president’s appeal.
Robert Kocharyan faces charges of overthrowing the constitutional order during the post-electoral events in March 1-2, 2008. The ex-president is currently in custody pending trial. Kocharyan and his defense team strongly deny the charges and call the criminal prosecution “politically motivated”.