Prime Minister Pashinyan does not see anything bad or wrong in that he, the head of executive power, organized the blockade of the judicial power bodies of the courts. It turns out that violating the principle of separation of powers was done “to open the doors of justice.” It is similar to another government claim that Civil Contract members are appointed chairpersons of university trustees’ councils to make universities apolitical. They want to say that we, CC members, have such angelic qualities that we will not allow factionalism. How far is it from institutional reforms, the meaning of which is that the case setting should not depend on the actors?
Otherwise, it turns out, because before the power was in the hands of monsters, and now it had passed to angels; before, if friends were made judges, it was corruption and nepotism, and now appointing relatives and the one who beats the drum “demp-demp-hoo” as judges are “institutional reform.” What followed the blockade of the courts – persecuting and removing individual independent judges from the system, changing the Chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council, and appointing a highly politicized figure – naturally indicates “institutional reforms.” According to the Prime Minister, the doors of justice have yet to be fully opened. It means that not all opponents of the government are still behind bars.
The judicial system has, yes, been “reformed.” If, until 2018, the motivation of the work of the majority of judges was corruption and political prosecutions, now several more incentives “coming from above” have been added to it, in particular, personal revenge and proving the central propaganda thesis of the government (“all the “former” are robbers”). No one calls Mnatsakan Martirosyan and says, for example, “Make an indictment against Avetik Chalabyan.” (They didn’t call before either). He knows without any call what verdict should be made in order to remain a judge. As for who should work as a judge, the executive power decides on the principle of loyalty, just like before.
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
