For the independence of the judiciary, for democracy and human rights protection, for the Armenian democratic figures being tried in Baku
Dear European Court of Human Rights,
On February 13, 2025, you ruled in my favor, finding that my rights to freedom and assembly were violated during the 2015 electricity price protests. You ordered Armenia to pay me compensation around 6,000 euros.
While I appreciate the Court’s work and decision, I must decline both the ruling and the compensation.
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Let me explain why.
When the current government came to power in Armenia in 2018, they promised to uphold European values of democracy and human rights. Instead, their first major action was to systematically undermine judicial independence.
This assault on the judiciary began when the Prime Minister called supporters to blockade courthouses, effectively intimidating judges. What followed was even more concerning: criminal cases were fabricated against judges who dared to issue unfavorable rulings.
Some prominent examples include:
- The persecution of Judge David Grigoryan
- Intimidations and false plagiarism accusations against Judge Alexander Azaryan
- Fabricated charges against Constitutional Court Chairman Hrayr Tovmasyan and his family members
The Prime Minister himself violated judicial independence by publicly attacking the presumption of innocence of Constitutional Court Chairman Tovmasyan on Facebook. In Parliament and media appearances, he went as far as comparing judges to dogs.
Through parliamentary manipulation, three Constitutional Court judges were removed: Felix Tokhyan, Hrant Nazaryan, and Alvina Gyulumyan – notably, the latter was the first female ECHR judge from any post-Soviet country.
The chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council, Ruben Vardazaryan, was targeted and eventually removed. Then the Health Minister, Arsen Torosyan, openly defied a court ruling against him, and nothing happened. Remarkably, 46 organizations associated with Europe and supposedly dedicated to democracy and human rights endorsed this judicial takeover.
The consequences have been severe: political and public figures, mayors, community leaders, human rights defenders, and activists face persecution, imprisonment, and torture. A democratic state Republic of Artsakh has been erased from the earth, and 150,000 people have lost their citizenship rights.
You might wonder how this relates to the European Court. The connection is troubling: while these events unfolded, the European community not only failed to condemn Armenia’s slide into authoritarianism but actually praised its supposed democratic progress.
Consider these recent developments:
- In January 2022, PACE praised Armenia’s “democratic development” since 2018
- In June 2024, they celebrated Armenia as a model of democratic transformation
- In January 2025, they continued to endorse Armenia’s “democratic reforms”
European leaders at all levels endorsed this false narrative of democratization calling Armenia a shining example of how a former Soviet country can transform into a true democracy.
Another troubling thing: PACE’s January 2025 appointment of Vahe Grigoryan as an ECHR judge – the very person who participated in dismantling judicial independence in Armenia and was implicated in fabricating criminal cases, as revealed in leaked recordings.
This European support enabled the current government to unilaterally surrender the democratic Republic of Artsakh to authoritarian Azerbaijan․ Now, Artsakh’s democratic leaders – three former presidents, Parliament Speaker, former State Minister, former Defence Minister and former Minister of Foreign Affairs – face show trials in Baku.
This is why I cannot accept the ECHR’s ruling in my favor. My refusal stands in solidarity with:
- The principle of judicial independence
- European values of democracy and human rights
- The judges who uphold these principles
- The democratic state of Artsakh
I hope the European community will return to its core values and stop legitimizing those who undermine judicial independence for short-term political gains. When that happens, we can once again respect its rulings, whether they favor us or not.
I am grateful to the Helsinki Committee for advancing this case, especially to attorney Robert Revazyan, who has always been by my side when my rights have been violated. Artak Zeynalyan was also involved in the work of this case, and I congratulate him.
Hovhannes Ishkhanyan
