YEREVAN. – The Constitutional Court (CC) of Armenia on Friday decided not to consider the case based on second President Robert Kocharyan’s petition, and to determine the constitutionality of Article 407 in conjunction with Article 414.2 of the Criminal Procedure Code. Armenian News-NEWS.am has learned this from the CC.
Kocharyan’s legal defense had petitioned to the CC to consider the constitutionality of the Court of Cassation’s decision not to examine the Criminal Court of Appeal decision on remanding Kocharyan in custody.
Aram Vardevanyan, one of Kocharyan’s attorneys, told Armenian News-NEWS.am that this matter relates to applied legal practice rather than the criminal procedural law in the classical sense. According to Vardevanyan, this matter is universal, and therefore he finds it necessary to raise the matter in this regard.
He added that they will reflect on this matter in more detail once the aforesaid CC decision is made public and they are familiarized with it.
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.
