Second President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan’s attorney Hayk Alumyan today made a statement on Judge Anna Danibekyan’s self-recusal.

Prior to Alumyan’s speech, Yuri Khachaturov’s attorney Mihran Poghosyan tried to make a statement, but the judge hindered the attempt.

Alumyan stated the fact that rules out Anna Danibekyan’s participation in the case. He cited the statement by President of the Supreme Judicial Council Ruben Vardazaryan that “the authorities want all Armenian judges to be like Armen Danielyan and Anna Danibekyan”, brought up some examples of demonization of Robert Kocharyan and cited the several statements by the Prime Minister in which he referred to judges as traitors and enemies and to Robert Kocharyan as the organizer of the murders on March 1, 2008. Alumyan also cited the famous wiretapped conversation between the heads of the National Security Service and Special Investigation Service in which there were instructions to detain Kocharyan and Khachaturov.

The attorney recalled that the former Director of the National Security Service and the head of the Special Investigation Service had confirmed the authenticity of the audio recording of the wiretapped phone conversation during their press conference. He also reminded that the Prime Minister called on blocking entrances to and exits from courts after Kocharyan’s release, after which the authorities obtained the phone number and address of Judge Grigoryan, who had ruled to release Kocharyan. Later, the case was inscribed to Judge Anna Danibekyan.

Attorney Aram Vardevanyan filed his own motion for Judge Anna Danibekyan’s self-recusal, and the court decided to consider the two motions together.

Karen Mejlumyan, attorney of Armenia’s ex-defense minister, also joined the motion, and attorney of the former Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization Mihran Poghosyan also joined the motion and stated that Danibekyan is acting the way Ruben Vardazaryan had stated.

Prosecutor Petros Petrosyan reminded about the previous motions for self-recusal and said the statement by Vardazaryan was taken out of the context and distorted. The attorneys of the injured party partially demanded annulling the motion and partially leaving it without consideration.

After listening to the parties, the judge left for the consultation room. The decision will be announced on March 6 at 5:45 p.m.