Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, speaking at the opening of a two-day international conference marking the 15th anniversary of the Human Rights Defender’s institution, declared that the judicial system must undergo “profound changes from top to bottom.”
The Prime Minister stressed that over the past 15 years, relations between the Human Rights Defender and the authorities have not been simple, and although the situation changed after the non-violent, velvet revolution of 2018, and the most important systemic issues were resolved — with parliamentary elections for the first time raising no doubts among either Armenians or international observers — challenges remain. Democracy must be strengthened, and an independent judicial system must be established.
“We are not at all interested in a judicial system under control. We are generally and fundamentally opposed to having a judicial system under control. But when the Government of the Republic of Armenia demonstrated its will — practical and political — to abandon attempts to control the judicial system, it became clear that this opens a certain field for those who previously had control over the judicial system, and they assessed this as an opportunity to continue to establish control over the judicial system, thereby trying to turn back the democratic changes that took place in Armenia. Today I clearly record that in Armenia the judicial system must undergo profound, substantive changes from top to bottom, so that this judicial system is truly independent and becomes one of the key institutions of democracy, human rights protection and legality in Armenia,” Pashinyan said in his remarks.
The Prime Minister noted that the Office of the Human Rights Defender has become established, despite the pessimistic assessments of 15 years ago.
The ruling majority, according to Prime Minister Pashinyan, will do everything to create all favourable conditions for the work of defenders. The revolution has created a new environment for human rights, where the human being is the highest value: “Our activity after the revolution is directed first and foremost at the protection of human rights, because that protection, human rights, are based on the simple awareness that all people in the Republic of Armenia are equal before the law, and inequalities of people before the law first and foremost create corruption. And when the Government of Armenia fights against corruption, the first result of that should be a higher level of human rights protection.”
