Possibility of Departing Judges Cannot Be Ruled Out, Artak Zeynalyan

This is a political process, and I will not rush to make assessments, said Justice Minister Artak Zeynalyan during a briefing with journalists today, responding to a question about whether Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had the right to call for the blocking of the courts.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated during his well-known announcement that all judges who know within themselves that they cannot be impartial and objective should resign, thus providing an important service to the Republic of Armenia and its people.

Today, journalists asked Zeynalyan how this could be the case.

In response, the minister stated that it is an internal issue for the judges and added, “Anyone who finds themselves to be biased can resign and should leave. This is about making a decision at one’s own will.”

Zeynalyan clarified that the Prime Minister's statement was a political message to those judges who will understand that their approach to human rights protection has been different from what the Armenian Constitution suggests.

When asked if he thinks there will be departing judges, Zeynalyan replied, “It is possible that there will be such judges.”

Journalists also reminded the minister of inconsistencies in the statements made by the current leadership, including Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Zeynalyan himself during his time as a member of Parliament. In particular, Pashinyan stated yesterday that all judges responsible for gross violations of citizens' rights, as established by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), should resign or be removed from their positions.

However, during his time as a member of Parliament, Artak Zeynalyan stated that judges should not be punished based on ECHR rulings, as they should not be constrained.

“All these circumstances are subject to evaluation by the competent authority, and there is a law in Armenia that must be observed by public officials in the exercise of their powers. At present, there is a law whose implementation is the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice. Legal acts accepted in democratic societies are subject to implementation by everyone, because they express the will of all,” Zeynalyan responded.

It should be noted that Artak Zeynalyan is not a representative of the ruling party but is a member of the board of the 'Republic' party, which criticized Nikol Pashinyan yesterday.

“The same goal of sending a revolutionary message to the judiciary could have been achieved without a blockade action. Prime Minister Pashinyan is presenting himself as an opposition figure and is undertaking actions that make Armenia vulnerable on the international stage and will affect the country's reputation, casting doubt on its commitment to democratic values. We find the accusations and threats of betrayal and conspiracy against the Artsakh leadership to be extremely dangerous and call on the Prime Minister not to yield to emotions,” read the party's statement.

In addition, today Zeynalyan addressed his party's statement and said that he is not involved in party activities and did not participate in the adoption of the board's statement.