Most Judges Have Become Instruments of This Government's Will, Says Elinar Vardanyan

It would be naive to expect or believe that the court will administer justice today. This was stated by Elinar Vardanyan, a member of the Armenia National Assembly's "Hayastan" faction, during a conversation with journalists near the Avan court of first instance.

"The court has already demonstrated its bias through its verdict, when it found Archbishop Mikael guilty in a case that lacked any legal basis. In this situation, expecting any positive outcome from this court is naive," she said.

The opposition MP noted that if today a sentence is imposed on Archbishop Mikael, and it involves imprisonment, then we all must accept that it is not just Archbishop Mikael who is on trial, but rather our conscience and faith.

She emphasized that, with few exceptions, most judges have become instruments of this government's will, issuing rulings for them. According to her, the first thing that must be done after the departure of the current authorities is to rectify the judicial system, transforming it into a truly independent and law-abiding judiciary.

"Today, we have judges who serve individual masters," the MP added.