Chairman of Court of Appeal refutes any connection with Kocharyan and others’ case

There are people who I seem to bother, chairman of Armenia’s Court of Appeal Vazgen Rshtuni said today speaking to reporters, referring to repeating talks about his ties with Kocharyan and the recent publication, according to which decision to release Kocharyan and send the case to Constitutional Court has been written by him and judges Mkhitar Papoyan and Arshak Vardanyan.

Papoyan stated earlier that he would report to law enforcers.

Asked to explain why such talks are being circulated, Rshtuni said, “I do not know, I cannot explain. May be there are people both in the system and outside of it who I seem to bother,” he said.

“I have been working as a judge for about ten years and if I am being linked with former authorities because I was appointed during their ruling they are free to do it. As to the claims that I have any relation to this case [Kocharyan and other’s case] if corresponding bodies have such information they are free to publish them,” Rshtuni stressed.

The chairman of the court did not exclude problems in the sector, adding that they exist in all sectors.

He said he does not like to participate in gatherings but considered his duty to be present at the extraordinary assembly of the judges convened today.