The Yerevan court once again did not allow former deputy prime minister Armen Gevorgyan, who is now an MP of the opposition “Armenia” Faction in the National Assembly of Armenia, to attend the session of a subcommittee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

At the start of Tuesday’s court hearing on the criminal case against second President Robert Kocharyan and Gevorgyan, Presiding Judge Anna Danibekyan stated that Gevorgyan had submitted a petition, which his lawyer Lusine Sahakyan presented.

The petition asked the court to grant Armen Gevorgyan permission to travel to Rome to participate in the sitting of a PACE subcommittee.

The defense joined this petition.

But the prosecution objected to it, making reference to previous similar discussions.

The court denied the petition, arguing that Gevorgyan's behavior—in particular, his "disrespectful" absence from the previous court hearing and the decision to subpoena him—raises fears that he would not return.