YEREVAN. – Judge Anna Danibekyan of a capital city Yerevan court of first instance on Monday returned from the consultation room and denied the motion by Armenia second President Robert Kocharyan’s attorneys to recuse herself from presiding over the criminal case involving him and several other former senior officials.

Thus, the respective court hearing presided over by Judge Danibekyan is still in progress.

Earlier on Monday, Kocharyan’s legal defense filed a motion with the court requesting the aforesaid judge’s recusal from presiding over this case.

Submitting the motion, defense attorney Hayk Alumyan noted that the court presided over by Judge Anna Danibekyan cannot be considered a proper court to hearing this case.

In addition, the defense argued that Danibekyan has a biased negative attitude towards Robert Kocharyan.

Earlier, Judge Anna Danibekyan had ruled against releasing Robert Kocharyan on the basis of the September 4 decision by the Constitutional Court, and then had denied his defendants’ motion to release him on bail.

Ex-President Robert Kocharyan is charged with overthrowing the constitutional order in Armenia in connection with the events that occurred in Yerevan in March 2008, and taking a particularly large bribe. He has been remanded in custody three times within one year; the last one was on June 25, by the decision of the Criminal Court of Appeal.

On March 1 and 2, 2008 the then authorities of Armenia used force against the opposition members who were rallying in downtown 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.