YEREVAN. – Capital city Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction Judge Vardan Grigoryan, who was to preside over the trial of the criminal case against second President Robert Kocharyan and some other former officials of Armenia, has recused himself from hearing this case.
This was reported to Armenian News-NEWS.am by the Judicial Department, which, however, did not note the reasons for this recusal.
The case has already been submitted to the court office and, according to the procedure, it shall be reassigned to another judge.
On April 29, the court hearing of this criminal case had been assigned to Judge Vardan Grigoryan.
As reported earlier, the prosecutor has confirmed the indictment on the part that has been separated from the criminal case on the events of March 2008 in Yerevan, and regarding Robert Kocharyan, Seyran Ohanyan, Yuri Khachaturov, and Armen Gevorgyan.
The Special Investigation Service had assessed that there was sufficient evidence to file charges against second President Robert Kocharyan, former Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan, former Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces and former CSTO Secretary General Yuri Khachaturov, and former Deputy Prime Minister and ex-Secretary of the National Security Council Armen Gevorgyan.
Accordingly, Kocharyan has been charged with breaching the constitutional order and taking a particularly large bribe; Ohanyan and Khachaturov are charged with breaching the constitutional order; and Gevorgyan is charged with aiding in breaching the constitutional order, taking a particularly large bribe, and legalizing unlawfully acquired property.
But solely Robert Kocharyan is remanded in custody in connection with this criminal case. Seyran Ohanyan and Armen Gevorgyan have been released on a signature bond, while Yuri Khachaturov—on bail.
On March 1 and 2, 2008 the then authorities of Armenia used force against the opposition members who were rallying in downtown capital city Yerevan, and against the results of the presidential election on February 19, 2008. Eight demonstrators as well as two servicemen of the internal troops were killed in the clashes.
