President Armen Sarkissian on Wednesday appointed Rustam Badasyan as Armenia’s new justice minister. He will replace Artak Zeynalyan, who abruptly resigned his position earlier this month.

During a press briefing at the National Assembly, the 28-year-old Badasyan assessed his professional experience in the law as sufficient for assuming the demanding position, saying that he has already outlined a course of action for judicial reforms with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

Badasyan was forthcoming in addressing his young age, saying that he did not see it as having an impact on his effectiveness in managing the Ministry.

”I have also been successful in the private sector at an early age, particularly when I became a shareholder-partner at one of the leading law firms after working for only one year. So I think my professional experience is sufficient for running the justice ministry,” said Badasyan.

The new appointee was asked about Pashinyan’s call last month for the public to block the entrances to courthouses in Armenia, after which he delivered an address to the nation calling for widespread judicial reforms and demanding a vetting process for all judges.

Badasyan said that he believed that Pashinyan’s declaration “was not a meant to exert pressure on the courts.”

He did say, however, that Pashinyan’s demand to vet all judges was “a necessary step for having an independent judiciary, but not enough.” He did not elaborate on the further steps he would take to advance the process.

Badasyan was born on January 27, 1991 in Yerevan. He holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in Law from Yerevan State University and the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, respectively, and is an alumnus of the School of Advocates of Armenia.

He has served as a leading specialist and investigator at the State Revenue Committee of Armenia, a senior lawyer at Virtulex Law Office, a partner at Concern-Dialog, Deputy Head of the State Revenue Committee of Armenia, before being appointed justice minister.

On July 6, 2018, he was became 1st Class Senior Advisor of Public Service of Armenia. He is fluent in Armenian, English and Russian.