Judge Mkhitar Papoyan of the Criminal Court of Appeal of Armenia is the judge who couldn’t render a clearly unlawful decision. This is what second President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan’s son, Levon Kocharyan told journalists at the Criminal Court of Appeal today.

When asked if he was aware of the motion that the defendants were going to submit to court with the request to hold the trial behind closed doors, Levon Kocharyan said it also came as a surprise to him.

When asked if he was concerned about Mkhitar Papoyan’s self-recusal, Kocharyan said the following: “They say Mkhitar Papoyan has good ratings and a good reputation as a judge. He was probably a judge who couldn’t render an unlawful decision. Perhaps self-recusal was an easy option and the most appropriate thing for him to do. This is the seventh judge recusing himself, and I don’t know if there has ever been such a case in the practice of the Armenian judiciary.”

During the trial taking place at the Criminal Court of Appeal, Judge Mkhitar Papoyan declared self-recusal. Later, the case was inscribed to Judge Lusine Abgaryan. According to presses, Lusine Abgaryan’s brother is a close friend of judge of the Constitutional Court Vahe Grigoryan, and Lusine Abgaryan’s brother shared on his Facebook page a comment by Serj Tankian expressing satisfaction with Robert Kocharyan’s detention, and Lusine Abgaryan had liked the comment.

Kocharyan’s attorney Hayk Alumyan had filed a motion to hold the trial behind closed doors to specify the issues regarding Judge Lusine Abgaryan’s relations.