Onik Gasparyan's Defenders Prepared to Reach the ECHR

The defenders of former Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces, Onik Gasparyan, are prepared to take their case to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). "If the violation of rights is not resolved in Armenia, yes, we will apply. I am always optimistic, and I see the elimination of human rights violations within the framework of Armenian judicial bodies. The part that does not diminish here should be addressed in the European Court," said Onik Gasparyan's lawyer, Aram Orbelyan, to reporters.

He added that the ECHR should not be viewed as the only body that administers conditional justice. "My expectation is that Mr. Gasparyan's rights will be protected by Armenian judicial and law enforcement bodies," the lawyer stated.

Orbelyan also noted that the Prime Minister, who believes he can disregard a court's decision and request the court to change its ruling, should face political responsibility. "In all developed countries I am familiar with, such an approach would obviously lead to political consequences; the criminal procedural consequences should also follow, because not implementing a court’s decision is considered a crime," Orbelyan remarked.

It is noteworthy that the Administrative Court of Armenia, presided over by Judge Mher Petrosyan, accepted the lawyer's request for interim measures in Onik Gasparyan's case, which demanded the suspension of Gasparyan's dismissal until a final court decision is rendered in the case.

Following the decision of the Administrative Court, the Prime Minister's office released a statement asserting that Onik Gasparyan has been relieved of his position as Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces. Earlier, on February 25, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced during a Facebook live that he had decided to dismiss Onik Gasparyan from his post. On the same day, earlier, the Armenian Armed Forces had called for the resignation of the Prime Minister and the government.

Onik Gasparyan has sent a request to the Prosecutor General's office, demanding the initiation of criminal proceedings against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Defense Minister Vagharshak Harutyunyan under Article 308, paragraph 2 of the Armenian Criminal Code, which pertains to the abuse of official powers resulting in grave consequences.