“Haykakan Zhamanak” rejects allegations by “opposition propaganda outlets” that the authorities are deliberately spreading tensions between people in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. “In this information tumult, ordinary citizens in Armenia and Artsakh cannot understand what is going on in reality,” writes the pro-government paper. It accuses former President Robert Kocharian of “exploiting the Armenians-versus-Karabakhis theme.” “After all, Kocharian has achieved everything his life by exploiting the Karabakh issue,” it says.
“Aravot” carries a photograph of expensive cars belonging to Armenian judges which were parked outside a court building in Yerevan where they met on Monday. The paper says judges attending the gathering insisted that they are ready to undergo a vetting process involving a scrutiny of their assets because “they have nothing to hide.”
Arman Grigorian, a U.S.-based Armenian political scientist, tells “Zhamanak” that Armenia’s former ruling regime retains strong influence on the judicial system as evidenced by a Yerevan court’s controversial decision to release Kocharian from custody and suspend his trial. “This branch of government has clearly taken on the role of an instrument for the restoration of the former regime,” he says. “What happened is a conspiracy against the democratic revolution in Armenia. This could plunge Armenia into a serious constitutional and political crisis.” Grigorian also condemns Karabakh President Bako Sahakian and his predecessor Arkadi Ghukasian for signing formal “guarantees” that led to Kocharian’s release.
(Sargis Harutyunyan)
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