The Constitutional Court has published a decision in the criminal case involving the second president, declaring Article 35 of the Criminal Procedure Code (Circumstances Excluding Criminal Prosecution) contrary to the organic law.

In a separate ruling, the top court declared Section 2, Article 135 (Basis for Execution of Preventive measures) of the same Code constitutional.

It promised to make further details available later.

While the Court was conducting its hearing in the afternoon, a protest action was going on outside to demand Robert Kocharyan's release.

The former president, whose second term in office expired in 2008, is facing criminal charges for overthrowing Armenia’s constitutional order in the period of post-electoral protests disputing the outcome of the February 19, 2008 nationwide polls (to elect the country's third leader).