The Published Recording Only Positively Affects My Reputation: Ruben Vardazaryan

According to the newspaper "Hraparak," the defense team of the President of the Council of Justice, Ruben Vardazaryan, has filed an appeal in court, contesting the criminal case initiated against him, and requested the termination of the criminal prosecution against him. The two appeals are being examined by different judges. The first is being reviewed by Judge Davit Harutyunyan of the Yerevan Center Court, previously the president of the Nor Nork Court, while the second appeal is being examined by Armine Meliksetyan. A court hearing was supposed to take place yesterday but was postponed.

In a conversation with us, Vardazaryan stated that the prosecution intends to file a motion for the disqualification of Judge Davit Harutyunyan. It is clear that they do not want an independent and autonomous judge like Harutyunyan to review this appeal. It is obvious that this another empty criminal case could collapse in court and disgrace the prosecution once again.

R. Vardazaryan also addressed the recently published scandalous recording on the internet, in which Judge Armen Bekhtashyan discusses with certain individuals how Ruben Vardazaryan called him to request the release of a criminal figure named Vahagn Abgaryan, known in Alaverdi. We asked him whether this recording could become an object of investigation by the pre-trial authorities.

"I do not think that the illegal recording can be an object of investigation," he said.

"But have you clarified how illegal this recording is, who made it, for what purpose?"

"No, I am not aware. If it were legal, the pre-trial authorities or the operational body would have published it. If it has appeared on one of the government sites, I assume it is illegal."

"Is it clear who is talking with Judge Bekhtashyan in that recording?"

"No, it’s not clear. Let the preliminary investigation figure it out."

"Will you address the court regarding this matter to find out why you were wiretapped?"

"Who are they wiretapping? You are saying it’s a scandalous recording of Vardazaryan; did Vardazaryan make any noise in that recording? Bekhtashyan is talking to himself. According to the recording, it’s a monologue. What does Vardazaryan have to do with it?"

"It’s related to your subject; it talks about you, which is why they say that. Your picture was also on the publication of the recording."

"If my picture was included, does it mean it’s about me? Then why isn’t the picture of the Prosecutor General included? He is also being discussed."

"Regardless, do you think there should follow some legal process concerning this recording?"

"I am sure that there will be legal consequences."

"Who will initiate this? This basically affects your reputation."

"Affects my reputation? It only positively affects my reputation."

"How so? People say, ‘Did you see? Vardazaryan, after all, tried to interfere with justice by calling to tell the judge to release him.’"

"He said, ‘Be careful, this is a state issue, this is a court system issue.’ This only raises my reputation rather than the opposite. When you call a judge and say 'Be careful, it’s an important issue,' this emphasizes my attention and the fact that I am vigilant and ensuring that judges pay attention to sensational cases."

"Nonetheless, you do not deny that in that recording, Bekhtashyan is indeed talking about you and that you really called him about that issue."

"That should be clarified by Bekhtashyan. Since it is Bekhtashyan’s monologue, I can’t say what he meant. I could have spoken to Bekhtashyan ten times during that time. How would I know what he means, which conversation he refers to?"

"It’s the conversation you just mentioned, where you said you called and told him this is a state, court system issue."

"I do not know when it happened, what day it was, what the issue was. The recording took place on that same day, or the next day, or a month later. There are so many nuances connected to that recording that until they are clarified, no one can question me."

"Are you going to initiate a process concerning that recording, or do you see no issues related to your reputation?"

"No, why would I? That was not a defaming recording but rather one that elevated my reputation. That’s how I assess it," the newspaper writes. Read the full article in today’s newspaper.