Arpine Hovhannisyan Appeals to Constitutional Court Judges

Former Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Arpine Hovhannisyan has made a post on Facebook regarding the draft law on early retirement for Constitutional Court judges.

“Today, a draft was discussed in Parliament about the early retirement of CC judges or, more accurately, the 'benefit of inactivity' for CC judges. This draft should be considered from three perspectives: legal, political, and moral. If we discuss the issue from a moral point of view, the main addressees are the CC judges themselves, and it is essential to ask whether they will continue to withstand pressure or not.

The authors of the draft argue that it is about leaving honorably or with dignity. They say that the characteristics people possess are not as ridiculous as those they aspire to have. Many representatives of the government aspire to possess qualities they do not have. When talking about honor and dignity, perhaps they should ask themselves whether it is honorable to speak of a legal state while participating in the creation of a judicial system in which judges of the High Court are removed for political reasons, their family members and themselves are subjected to political pressures, and where principle is considered a flaw, serving the law is a defect, and a judicial system composed of collective 'Hrach's' is an institutional dream.

In this context, I believe that the behavior of each CC judge can serve as an example of serving honorably, free from unnecessary noise and pathos. Therefore, as a citizen of the Republic of Armenia, I request:

• To CC Judge Mr. Arayik Tunyanyan: Continue on the decent and moral path you have walked throughout your life, resist the pressures applied to you regarding your son's service and beyond;
• To CC Judge Ms. Alvina Gyulumyan: Remain faithful to the title of a true judge on your worthy path, withstand all pressures, and show your attitude towards cheap tricks (such as fake promises of high office, etc.);
• To CC Judge Mr. Ashot Khachatryan: Continue to demonstrate strong willpower, do not succumb to the pressures exerted on you regarding the various activities of your sons;
• To CC Judge Ms. Arevik Petrosyan: Remain strong as a principled and strong woman, standing firm against numerous pressures, serving as an example for your daughter;
• To CC Judge Mr. Felix Tokhyan: Resist various blackmails and pressures related to you and your family members, proving that the statements of the government propaganda machine about CC judges do not correspond to reality;
• To CC Judge Hrayr Tovmasyan: Keep going. Just continue in the same manner.

Dear ladies and gentlemen, continue to uphold your most valuable asset, your dignity, and you will be appreciated by history and future generations. The ultimate end of your path is not the disgraceful 'benefit of inactivity' proposed to you by the government at the expense of Armenian citizens. History will regard those who left with their heads held high not as honorable leavers but as those who sold their dignity for the 'benefits' received during critical times.

Moreover, any subsequent government will eliminate the ‘inactivity’ benefit, because it cannot be lawful and moral for any government to pay millions for doing nothing at the expense of Armenian citizens.

PS: It is evident that paying for doing nothing is normal for this government, as they have appointed a CC judge (Vahe Grigoryan) who has been receiving money for months for doing nothing and inventing an artificial 'crisis.' He is the real beneficiary of the inactivity benefit.

PS1: I will address the legal and political aspects soon. The addresses are Armen Sarkissian and the ruling political force,” she wrote.