Today’s trial of eighteen members of the Sasna Dzrer armed group that seized a Yerevan police building in July 2016 and held it for two weeks, devolved into near chaos, forcing the judge to call for seven recesses.

There have been calls by the defense for Judge Artoush Gabrielyan to resign he’s seen as biased.

Those who came to the court as spectators complained that they could neither see or hear anything on the other side of the glass partition dividing the trial chamber.

When questioned by a defense attorney about the heavy police presence in the courtroom, Judge Gabrielyan said it was for the safety of those inside.

A heated back and forth between the defense attorneys and the judge on minute procedural matters further delayed the proceedings.

The judge penalized fifteen of the defendants for not rising to their feet when called upon to do so. They will be banned from the courtroom for six hours.

Gabrielyan also sanctioned a few of the defense attorneys for not returning to the courtroom after one of the recesses.

The nest court date is scheduled for July 6.