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Members of Armenia’s ex-President Robert Kocharyan defense team Aram Orbelian and Aram Vardevanyan filed motion with judge Anna Danibekyan of the Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction to change detention measure against ex-president. The lawyers cited in the motion the recent decision of the Constitutional Court on the ‘constitutionality’ of the ex-president detention, suggesting the Robert Kocharyan’s arrest was illegal.

The Constitutional earlier ruled on 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.

The prosecution, however, insisted the Constitutional Court decision may not apply to the case under consideration and there are no grounds to free the ex-president. They appealed to the judge to dismiss the motion brought by the defense team, arguing ex-president’s legal immunity does not extend to the accusations brought against him.