The National Assembly held on Friday hearings on the introduction of “transitional justice” in Armenia which Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian regards as a major element of judicial reforms planned by him.
Pashinian told the parliament dominated by his allies to start working on “mechanisms for transitional justice” when he held on Monday an emergency meeting with senior state officials. The meeting came as his supporters blocked the entrances to court buildings across the country.
Pashinian called for such a blockade on Sunday following a Yerevan court’s decision to release his bitter foe and former President Robert Kocharian from custody. “The judicial authority does not enjoy the people’s trust and therefore lacks sufficient legitimacy to act,” he said, demanding a mandatory “vetting” of all judges.
According to Deputy Justice Minister Anna Vardapetian, such vetting should be part of transitional justice. “This in no way presupposes any humiliating processes,” she insisted during the hearings attended by lawmakers, government officials and legal experts.
“Vetting is done to verify the integrity of individuals holding public positions,” said Vardapetian. She listed the three main criteria for the planned evaluation of judges: “attitude towards human rights, attitude towards to the rules of professional ethics and asset status.”
Pashinian has repeatedly called for “transitional justice” ever since he swept to power in May 2018 following mass protests dubbed a “velvet revolution.” But he has so far shed little light on what that would mean in practice.
Parliament speaker Ararat Mirzoyan, who chaired the hearings, admitted that Pashinian and his political team have yet to flesh out their plans for judicial reform. “The state authorities have not formulated a position,” he said. “These hearings are also aimed at helping to formulate that position.”
In any case, Mirzoyan said, the reform will not lead to the creation of “emergency courts” controlled by the current authorities. “Transitional justice must support, cleanse, vet and reform the existing judicial system in a legal and legislative manner,” he said.
Opposition lawmakers warned in this regard any reform of the domestic judiciary must conform to the constitution. One of them, Naira Zohrabian, said Armenian courts must not be told hand down ruling under popular pressure engineered by the government.
Armenian opposition groups have denounced as unconstitutional the court blockade initiated by Pashinian.