As of Now, I Have Not Received Any Manually Assigned Cases: Judge Mikayel Papoyan on NSS Actions in Appeals Court

As reported, employees of the National Security Service (NSS) seized the computer system responsible for the electronic distribution of cases during another case at the Court of Appeal. According to information, the aim is to assign politically sensitive cases to 'loyal' judges.

It should be noted that appeals are currently being submitted regarding changes to the measure of restraint for the mayors of Syunik. The Prosecutor General's Office has also submitted an appeal to the Court of Cassation concerning Ruben Vardazaryan, the head of the Supreme Judicial Council, thus making it crucial to obtain favorable decisions from the Court of Appeal.

Regarding the seizure of the case distribution computer, ArmDaily.am directed several questions to Judge Mikayel Papoyan of the Appeals Court.

- We have information that the NSS has seized the computer that assigns cases, and now judges are signing cases manually. Is there such a thing?

- I have not seen any NSS personnel at the criminal court; I don't even know if that computer that assigns cases is located in this court or somewhere else. Today I have heard various rumors, saying that part is in our court, while another part is elsewhere, that location could be the department, the Supreme Judicial Council, or somewhere else; it is not specific... As of now, I have not received any manually assigned cases.

- Why should you be sent a manually assigned case, you are not a loyal judge of the authorities; they would assign them to those who would issue desirable decisions. We are talking about the cases of the mayors of Syunik and Vardazaryan.

- Ultimately, there are other cases in this court that need to be distributed.

- When was the last time you received a case assigned by the computer?

- I received a case either yesterday or the day before, or maybe the day before that.

- In general, did you use to receive them every day, or is a 2-3 day break normal?

- It varies at different times. We didn’t even understand how the computer distribution works, although when we follow it, it seems to be quite intelligent in terms of the even distribution of cases. But it can assign me 2-3 cases every day while not assigning anything to my colleague, and then 10 days later it starts to assign to them while I don’t get anything. It’s not a predictable computer.

- Have you seen the court president? Have you tried to understand what news media are reporting?

- No.

- Are you aware, for example, to whom the cases of Mr. Vardazaryan and the mayors of Syunik have been assigned?

- I don’t know; I’m not aware.

- Mr. Papoyan, when the computer is seized, how are cases assigned?

- If memory serves me correctly, it seems that in the corresponding decision of the Supreme Judicial Council in 2018, it mentions that in case of impossibility, cases are assigned manually.

- Mr. Papoyan, do you rule out that the computer seizure could have been deliberately organized to obtain favorable decisions in important cases?

- I do not want such a conviction to form within me, but I cannot also say with confidence that it isn't possible. I share the doubts that the press and the public have; I don’t want to believe it.

- Why not? Are you a romantic?

- I’m an optimist, but one day I may cross that line and not be.