Court excuses third president Serzh Sargsyan from attending hearings

ArmInfo.  On August 20, the Anti-Corruption Court, presided over by Judge Aram Grigoryan, continued the trial of the third president of the Republic of  Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, and other co-defendants.

Serzh Sargsyan's defense counsel, Amram Makinyan, submitted a motion  requesting that the trial proceed in the third president's absence.  The presiding judge granted the motion.

Similar requests were filed by the attorneys representing  co-defendants Valery Grigoryan and Aleksan Aleksanyan, which the  court likewise approved.

Consequently, the proceedings will continue without the physical  presence of the accused individuals, though the court retains the  authority to mandate their attendance at any stage of the trial if  deemed necessary. The session has adjourned, with the next hearing  scheduled for September 9 at 2:30 PM.

According to the indictment, Serzh Sargsyan—who served as Minister of  Defense from May 20, 2000, to April 4, 2007—is accused of the illegal  expropriation of land parcels situated along Isakov Avenue.   Additionally, on November 5, 2025, the prosecutor's office initiated  a public criminal case against Sargsyan under Article 311, Part 4,  Clause 2 of the 2003 Criminal Code, which corresponds to Article 435,  Part 3, Clause 3 of the current Criminal Code, concerning large-scale  bribery.