General Prosecution refrains to comment Constitutional Court’s Kocharyan decision for now

17:21, 4 September, 2019

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 4, ARMENPRESS. The General Prosecution of Armenia will express its position over the Constitutional Court’s decision on ex-President Robert Kocharyan’s motion after it receives the complete decision, General Prosecution spokesperson Arevik Khachatryan told ARMENPRESS.

“We can speak about the possible consequences of the Constitutional Court’s decision only after having the complete decision. Therefore, we can’t say anything until then,” Khachatryan said.

The Constitutional Court of Armenia issued its verdict over ex-President Robert Kocharyan’s appeal regarding his arrest.

Robert Kocharyan, currently in pre-trial detention on charges of “overthrowing constitutional order” during the 2008 Yerevan unrest, requested the Constitutional Court to determine whether or not his arrest is constitutional, i.e. whether paragraph 2 of Article 135 and Article 35 of the Criminal Procedures Code are in conformity with the Constitution.

On September 4, the Constitutional Court delivered a verdict, partly approving Kocharyan’s motion.

The Constitutional Court ruled that Article 35 of the Criminal Procedures Code contradicts respective articles of the Constitution and is invalid in terms of not envisaging official immunity among the circumstances which exclude criminal prosecution.

The Constitutional Court, however, ruled that paragraph 2 of Article 135 is constitutional.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan