Your trusted source

Judge Anna Danibekyan presiding over the trial of Armenia’s second President Robert Kocharyan and three other former senior officials, returned to work on Friday, the judge’s staff confirmed to Panorama.am, refusing to answer a question about the date of the next hearing in the case.

"Call at the end of the day and we will tell you," the staff said.

Earlier on 13 April Robert Kocharyan’s defense team said the judge had submitted a sick leave medical certificate on March 13, which was to expire on April 16. According to the court staff, no application for extension of the certificate was submitted.

The last court hearing in the case presided over by Danibekyan took place on March 10. The court was set to hear a motion to release the ex-president on personal guarantees on March 17, however the court hearing has failed to be held so far, the defense lawyers said.

Armenia’s former Prime Ministers Vazgen Manukyan, Khorsrov Harutyunyan and Karen Karapetyan, as well as former Artsakh Prime Minister Anushavan Danielyan have offered personal guarantees for the release of Robert Kocharyan.

The Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction turned down a defense request to assign the examination of the motion to another judge, arguing judge Anna Danibekyan is the one dealing with the proceedings.

The defense lawyers appealed to the human rights defender and the Supreme Judicial Council, stating Kocharyan was at-risk group amid the coronavirus outbreak. The human rights defender shared the concerns that the raised issue was the result of incomplete legal regulations and asked the Supreme Judicial Council for its official position on the matter.

The lawyers also filed a number of lawsuits demanding the prevention of human rights violations, in particular, inhuman treatment and torture against Robert Kocharyan.