Last week, Kocharyan’s lawyers held a press conference and made announcements. That’s natural- only an extremely unprofessional lawyer wouldn’t try to use it in their client’s favor when a phone conversation between two high-ranking officials is secretly recorded and when the prime minister makes emotional announcements at gatherings. And Kocharyan, of course, has every possibility to hire the best lawyers. Their commentary can be acceptable or unacceptable, and the second president can make people like him or dislike him. But I continue to hold the opinion that psychological terror is unacceptable towards any person, including lawyers and judges.
Part one of article 61 of the Armenian constitution states: “Everyone shall have the right to official judicial protection of his or her rights and freedoms,” and it follows up with the right for every citizen, despite what they were accused of, to have the help of a lawyer. The law doesn’t state that this legal norm doesn’t apply to citizens whom we don’t like. If a lawyer is given the responsibility of representing, for example, some fanatic who raped and killed 15 girls, that doesn’t mean that the lawyer has anything to do with that crime. That fanatic’s defender is not a fanatic themselves, they’re not a murderer, traitor, or sold-out filth.
Part one of article 164 states: “When administering justice, a judge shall be independent, impartial, and act only in accordance with the constitution and laws” and not in accordance with the feelings of the majority of citizens. Of course, the judge can make an illegal decision and will then be held responsible for that. But that will need to be shown through the court system. But if the SIS head is speaking about that, then, as they say, the nail and hammer are in his hand; he should file a criminal case against that judge. It’s unnecessary to “victimize” that judge, if we don’t like their decision.
People say, “But it was Kocharyan who was violating the constitution,” but that isn’t an argument, as I have already written before. Yes, during Kocharyan’s time, Armenia bloomed with lawlessness, corruption, pressure against citizens, and the second president has no moral right to call anyone a tyrant. But as it’s known, hatred will not defeat hatred; it can only be defeated through love. Just as lawlessness can only be defeated through the law.
Aram Abrahamyan
