Minister Discusses Jhangiryan-Vardazaryan Recording

“The Jhangiryan-Vardazaryan recording was evidence of the issues I raised,” Justice Minister Karen Andreasyan stated in an interview with Azatutyun. The minister specifically noted, “It was very painful for me, and I must be honest, many things in that recording were not to my taste, including the music that was playing. Moreover, certain parts of the content reflected all the problems I have spoken about both as Minister of Justice, as a lawyer, as an ordinary citizen, and as a human rights defender. By the way, it’s not just the actual texts or any specific words there, but our concerns related to the overall atmosphere were also reflected in some conversations.”

Journalist: “On the other hand, don’t you think you and the Prime Minister should have conveyed these messages to the public right after the recording was released, rather than waiting for him to state live that ‘what I did was good, I did it right, it was legal,’ and only citing health reasons for leaving?”

Karen Andreasyan: “There is an unfair piece to your question; during his interview, the Prime Minister addressed this issue and provided a very clear assessment, stating that yes, this recording and such conversations diminish trust in the judicial system. I believe this is a serious assessment. After that, due to health reasons and other circumstances, we saw certain developments that I cannot say fully satisfy either us or society, but we see that there is a certain process of recovery. Days after the recording, the powers of the Chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council were suspended on different grounds, followed by Mr. Vardazaryan’s resignation request, and today, 3 out of 10 seats of this critically important body are vacant. I hope that the new appointments will bring a new quality to the Supreme Judicial Council and the entire judicial system.”

Journalist: “Yet there were also hopes when Jhangiryan was elected; after all, he is a figure of this government.”

You are correct, and hope dies last; one can try, one can struggle to find and invite new candidates again. By the way, the requirements set before the members of the Supreme Judicial Council are quite serious. This means that they need significant experience, and academic degrees, etc. In other words, these individuals cannot just be highly respected citizens whom we trust and invite; they must also possess professional qualities. And yes, in some respects, not all personnel appointments yield the results our government expects.