YEREVAN. – The trial of the criminal case of the ten members of the Sasna Tsrer armed group has resumed Wednesday at a Yerevan court of first instance.

Defendant Pavlik Manukyan's lawyer Zaruhi Postanjyan told the court that her client had health problems and was at the intensive care unit of a hospital.

To note, according to a court decision, Manukyan is temporarily removed from the courtroom.

The trial in the case of Sasna Tsrer is coming to an end.

At the previous court hearing, the prosecution read the indictment and motioned the court to have the Sasna Tsrer members be imprisoned from 8 years and 6 months to life, and presented the criteria for imprisoning each of these defendants.

Currently, defendants Armen Bilyan and Smbat Barseghyan, who are charged with murdering police officers, are still in custody.

After the revolution in Armenia in 2018, and based on the personal pledges submitted by MPs, the pretrial measure of custody that was in force for seven other members was commuted and they were released, while Sasna Tsrer member Pavel Manukyan was set free on a 1mn-dram bail.

In protest of the then authorities, the Sasna Tsrer armed group took over a police patrol regiment building in Yerevan and held hostages, but later surrendered in July 2016. Three police officers, however, were killed during the two-week standoff.

Criminal charges have been brought against 32 people in connection with this incident and related developments.