Gagik Harutyunyan, President of the Supreme Judicial Council of Armenia, resigned on May 24.
In his resignation letter, he wrote, “Taking into account the developments taking place in connection with the judiciary and judges, and my media comments on May 20 in regards to that, I no longer consider my further work to be suitable in the status of President and Board member of the Supreme Judicial Council.”
Harutyunyan further wished fruitful activity upon the establishment of an independent judiciary in Armenia in accordance with the rule of law.
“I am confident that from now on I will have enough time to work more actively within the framework of international professional cooperation for the good of the Armenian people. God bless our country and the people,” he concluded.
Later in the day, based on the recommendation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and by President’s decree, Arzuman Harutyunyan – Gagik Harutyunyan’s brother – was relieved of the post of Deputy Director of Armenia’s National Security Service, as reported by the Public Relations Department of the Armenian President’s Office.
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Earlier, on May 20, Pashinyan spoke about the fact that the people of Armenia perceive the judicial system as a remnant of the former corrupt government and presented the Five Points of Surgical Intervention of the Judiciary System.
“In the Republic of Armenia, the power belongs to the people. The people shall exercise their power through free elections, referenda, as well as through state and local self-government bodies and officials provided for by the Constitution. Consequently, there cannot exist any power in the country, including judicial, that does not represent the people, whose power does not stem from the people,” Pashinyan said.
Zara Poghosyan
