Yet another member of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), a state body overseeing Armenia’s courts, stepped down on Thursday.
The official, Armen Khachatrian, gave no reason for the move in his letter of resignation publicized by the SJC. Khachatrian said only that he will “continue to support the process of judicial reforms” in his other capacity as chairman of Armenia’s Bankruptcy Court.
Khachatrian was elected to the newly established SJC by an assembly of Armenia’s judges in March 2018. He is the third member of the judicial watchdog to resign in the last three weeks.
The SJC chairman, Gagik Harutiunian, tendered his resignation on May 24, citing “ongoing developments relating to the judicial authority” and his “concerns expressed in that regard.” His temporary replacement, Gevorg Danielian, quit on June 7.
The concerns cited by Harutiunian followed Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s May 19 appeal to his supporters to block the entrances to all court buildings in the country. The appeal came the day after a Yerevan court ordered former President Robert Kocharian released from jail pending the outcome of his trial on coup and corruption charges. The court’s decision angered many allies and supporters of Pashinian.
Speaking at a May 20 meeting with senior state officials, Pashinian said that Armenian courts remain linked to “the former corrupt system” and distrusted by the population. He announced plans for a mandatory “vetting” of all judges.
Harutiunian was among the officials invited to the emergency meeting. However, he did not attend it because of being unable to leave the SJC building in downtown Yerevan blockaded by government loyalists.
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