Request Denied: Ruben Vardazaryan Will Not Be Subjected to Disciplinary Action

The Supreme Judicial Council announced today its decision to reject a request from the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption to impose disciplinary sanctions on the Council's president, Ruben Vardazaryan (whose powers have been temporarily suspended). This was stated by the press secretary of the Council, Lilit Shaboyan, in an interview with Hetq.

The request to hold Vardazaryan accountable was made by the Anti-Corruption Commission, which claimed that there were 13-14 inaccuracies in Vardazaryan's income declaration. According to the Commission, a review of Vardazaryan's bank statements reveals that the same type of funds have been deposited into his account for at least three years, with the transferring entity and the purpose of the transfer being unknown. There is also no information regarding these funds in Vardazaryan's declaration.

It is worth noting that Vardazaryan and his representative did not attend the council meeting regarding the disciplinary action. Vardazaryan submitted written objections, stating he is prepared to respond in writing if there are any questions.

Let us remind you that Vardazaryan's powers have been temporarily suspended due to an ongoing criminal investigation against him at the Special Investigative Service (SIS). He is accused of obstructing the administration of justice. The defense team has appealed the decision to involve him as a defendant in court, and Judge David Harutyunyan of the Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction has upheld the appeal, obliging the investigating authority to eliminate the violation of Vardazaryan's rights. According to the court's analysis, Vardazaryan's immunity has not been overridden when he was included as a defendant. This decision has been appealed by the prosecution to the Court of Appeals.