When the law enforcement and judiciary were cruel and sadistic towards Gagik Jhangiryan’s disabled brother during the previous administration, one could have predicted that Jhangiryan, when in control of certain levers of power, would seek revenge on those who behaved in this way and those who left the government in general. Moreover, it is assumed that he will seek the position to carry out that revenge.
When representatives of a certain branch of government at the same time helped Karen Andriasyan, a successful ombudsman, write a resignation letter and then insulted the former ombudsman from the parliament and other tribunes, it was clear to me that Andriasyan will seek revenge for the insults he has received. Now he has the opportunity to do so, and judging by his recent statements, he will implement them. The Minister of Justice now speaks in the style of a rally about “mafia gangs declaring war on the state” or “cleansing the system of corrupt judges.”
In the case of both officials, the target is the judiciary, which has so far shown slight resistance to being in the pocket of the executive branch, and the choice of these figures was by no means accidental. Now it is very likely that the judges who made decisions in Kocharyan and other “notorious” cases that are not in line with the government’s desires will be declared “corrupt.” And the really corrupt ones who obediently served Serzh Sargsyan and now Nikol Pashinyan, will remain in their places.
The Civil Contract majority in parliament has passed a law criminalizing insulting high-ranking state officials, and the prosecution of those who swear at Pashinyan has already begun (which Freedom House has expressed concern about). It is not really clear why insulting the Prime Minister is a criminal offense, and saying the same words to, say, a minibus driver is not such a crime. And then, did the Prime Minister himself never insult anyone in his public speeches? Now the judges, fearing that they will be called “corrupt” or “mafia,” will “stab” such cases with their decisions. This is why these officials are needed.
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…This power is also not eternal, regardless of the fact that the authorities think they are eternal. In a few years, new authorities will come and try to take revenge for today.
Aram Abrahamyan
