During Friday’s preliminary hearings in the criminal case against film producer Armen Grigoryan in a court of Yerevan, Grigoryan felt ill, lost consciousness, and fell from the chair.

During the remarks by his attorney Ruben Melikyan, Armen Grigoryan turned from his seat and fell to the ground.

This caused confusion in the courtroom.

Those in the courtroom tried to help him.

An ambulance was called.

According to the new Criminal Procedure Code of Armenia, the matter of a restraining order also shall be considered during the preliminary hearings.

Armen Grigoryan is in custody since May 17.

On May 17, the National Security Service (NSS) of Armenia issued a statement on the detention of producer Armen Grigoryan. Accordingly, during his interviews, he had debased the national dignity of the people of Shirak Province and the Ararat Plain and questioned their ethnic origins.

Armen Grigoryan was detained within the framework of the criminal case initiated at the NSS, and at the same time, and the investigator had submitted a petition to the court to remand him in custody.

Armen Grigoryan had called half of the residents of the Ararat Plain and Shirak Province "orphans of Turks."