YEREVAN. – Tuesday’s court hearing of the criminal case against Armenia’s second President Robert Kocharyan and several other former senior officials lasted less than half an hour and was entirely devoted to the absence from courtroom of Erik Aleksanyan, the attorney of defendant Armen Gevorgyan, the former Deputy Prime Minister.

At the previous court session on February 16, Aleksanyan had asked the court not to schedule the next hearing for February 23, as he was to attend a hearing that day at the Court of Appeal, and in the case directly related to presiding Judge Anna Danibekyan. But the latter had disregarded this request and scheduled the hearing for February 23.

Judge Danibekyan said Tuesday that the aforementioned session of the Court of Appeal had not taken place, and therefore Aleksanyan could have easily attended this court hearing. In this regard, the court stated that it considered the absence of the lawyer disrespectful and his respective conduct would be discussed at the next hearing.

The next court session was scheduled for March 2.