Yerevan court rejects motion to release Robert Kocharyan on bail

Panorama, Armenia

The Yerevan court of general instance rejected on Wednesday another motion brought by second President Robert Kocharyan’s defense team to release him on bail. The decision of the court under presiding Judge Anna Danibekyan was announced moments ago.

The court ruling will be send to the parties within a day. Kocharyan was not present at the hearing as he had undergone a surgery at Yerevan medical centre. May 19 is scheduled as the next date for the court hearing.
To remind, Armenia’s former PMs Vazgen Manukyan, Khosrov Harutyunyan, Karen Karapetyan as well as former PM of the Artsakh Republic Anushavan Danielyan appeared in court on May 8 and offered personal guarantees for changing the preventive measure for Kocharyan.

The ex-president’s defense team also argued that their client is in risk contracting coronavirus at pre-trial detention as the does not meet the minimum requirements for social distancing. The lawyers also pointed to the ex-president’s health condition and the fact that in his 60s the president remains in high risk group to contract the virus.