Armenia’s Constitutional Court again denies motion to invite president as witness in election challenge case

Panorama, Armenia

The Constitutional Court of Armenia denied for the second time a request of judge Hrayr Tovmasyan to summon President Armen Sarkissian to testify in court as a witness in the hearings on the opposition appeals challenging the official results of last month’s snap parliamentary elections.

Tovmasyan filed a similar motion to the court on Friday, but Constitutional Court Chairman Arman Dilanyan rejected it earlier on Saturday.

The judge sought clarifications from the president over his decision to schedule the elections for June 20, alleging Sarkissian made the decision under pressure.

At the same time, the Constitutional Court granted another motion of Hrayr Tovmasyan to request the Judicial Department to provide information on the interpretation given in judicial practice to the content of Article 226.2 of the Criminal Code.

The Constitutional Court received separate election appeals from the opposition Armenia bloc, I’m Honored bloc, Zartonk (Awakening) National Christian Party and Hayots Hayrenik (Armenian Homeland) Party last week and decided to examine them as part of one case. The court opened hearings in the case on Friday.