Tuesday, March 8, 2022
High Court Asked To Curb Disciplinary Action Against Armenian Judges
• Naira Bulghadarian
Armenia - The Constitutional Court holds a hearing in Yerevan, July 9, 2021.
Opposition lawmakers have asked Armenia’s Constitutional Court to ban the
government from initiating disciplinary proceedings against judges accused of
misconduct or other abuses.
The court has scheduled the first hearing on the appeal for June.
The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), a state body overseeing all Armenian courts,
can sack judges after repeatedly subjecting them to disciplinary action.
A controversial government bill enacted last year empowered the Ministry of
Justice to formally demand such action. The number of SJC proceedings against
judges has increased sharply since then, raising more concerns about judicial
independence in the country.
Opposition members of the Armenian parliament say that the bill is
unconstitutional because it allows the government and law-enforcement agencies
to interfere in the work of the judiciary. They want the Constitutional Court to
declare it null and void.
Aram Vartevanian, a lawmaker representing the opposition Hayastan bloc, insisted
on Tuesday that the main purpose of the new prerogative given to the Ministry of
Justice is to pressure or punish judges refusing to make politically motivated
decisions wanted by the authorities.
In a report released in September, an anti-corruption arm of the Council of
Europe also expressed concern over the bill and urged the Armenian authorities
to seriously revise it. Justice Minister Karen Andreasian dismissed those
concerns, saying that disciplinary proceedings sought by the authorities are not
meant to pressure the courts.
In a joint statement issued in January, a dozen judges, among them members of
the Court of Appeals, accused Andreasian of abusing that authority to try to
bully judges known for their independence.
Armenia - Justice Minister Karen Andreasian gives a press conference, November
30, 2021.
Andreasian rounded on them in a recent interview with RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.
He implied that they must be among scores of judges who he thinks should be
ousted by the SJC.
The minister stood by his earlier allegations that at least 40 judges are
“corrupt.” But he did not name them or offer any proof of the allegations.
Dismissals of judges have until now had to be backed by at least seven of the
SJC’s ten members. Under a bill passed by the government-controlled parliament
last months, five members will be enough to make such decisions.
The current acting head of the judicial watchdog, Gagik Jahangirian, is a
controversial former prosecutor thought to be loyal to Prime Minister Nikol
Pashinian.
In recent months Armenian opposition groups, lawyers and some judges have
repeatedly accused the government of seeking to increase government influence on
courts under the guise of judicial reforms. Pashinian and his political allies
deny this.
Russians Flock To Armenia Amid Ukraine War, Western Sanctions
• Robert Zargarian
• Artak Khulian
Armenia - Russian nationals are seen in downtown Yerevan, March 7, 2022.
Thousands of Russians, many of them tech professionals, have migrated to Armenia
since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the ensuing tightening of
Western sanctions against Moscow.
The unprecedented influx is particularly visible in the center of Yerevan where
mostly young Russians can now be seen not only walking the streets and dining at
restaurants but also queuing up in local banks or outside ATMs.
Virtually all migrants randomly interviewed by RFE/RL’s Armenian Service were
information technology (IT) or finance specialists. Most of them gave economic
reasons for their decision to leave Russia. Some said they decided to get out in
protest against the Russian military assault ordered by President Vladimir Putin.
“I have come here to avoid problems with work and to make sure I’m in a calm
state of mind,” said Ilya Kornienko, an ethnic Ukrainian from Moscow who arrived
in Yerevan on Monday morning.
“Of course I’m upset,” he said when asked about the conflict in Ukraine. “It’s
sad. I have relatives on both sides.”
Kornienko, who is currently staying in a local hotel, will be joined by his
girlfriend later this month. He is already looking for an apartment.
Armenia - Russian travellers read news on their mobile phones, Yerevan, March 7,
2022.
Andranik Harutiunian, a real estate agent, estimated that apartment rents in
Yerevan have risen by 20 to 30 percent over the past week. “Demand [for housing]
is very strong,” he said.
As 33 countries -- including all 27 European Union member states -- closed their
airspace to Russian carriers late last month, Armenia became one of the few
destinations still accessible for Russians keen to travel abroad. The South
Caucasus state is Russia’s main regional ally and the majority of its citizens
speak Russian.
On Monday alone, there were over two dozen commercial flights to Yerevan from
Moscow and other Russian cities.
Armenia - Alexei, a 25-year-old Russian copywriter, talks to RFE/RL at Yerevan's
Zvartnots airport, March 4, 2022
"My choice was between Armenia and Georgia, because those were the easiest
destinations to reach as some airports had already been closed,” explained
Alexei, another Muscovite. “Logistically, the easiest way for me was to get to
Yerevan."
Dmitry Kuzmin, a resident of Rostov-on-Don, a city in southern Russia close to
the Ukrainian border, arrived in Armenia with his wife and children.
“One of the reasons for coming here is this troubled situation,” he said. “But
we had long wanted to visit Yerevan.”
The sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union include
measures aimed at restricting Russia's access to high technology and
complicating Russian companies' financial transactions abroad.
"I have heard that many companies will be moving abroad in the near future,
because doing business in Russia in spheres connected with import, export,
finances is no longer possible," said another arriving Russian, who chose not to
disclose his identity.
Armenian Economy Minister Vahan Kerobian claimed on March 1 that Russian tech
companies are already moving operations to Armenia to evade the Western
sanctions. But he did not disclose their names or give other details.
Armenia - A Russian family strolls in downtown Yerevan, March 7, 2022.
The Armenian government appears to welcome the arrival of IT engineers and other
skilled workers from Russia. The Ministry of Economy set up last week a working
group tasked with helping them settle in the country.
The government has not yet ascertained the total number of Russians who have
entered Armenia since Moscow launched its “special military operation” in
Ukraine on February 24.
"We will be able to talk about figures in about a week when things get calmer,
but as of now we can say that some professionals from Russia have already got
jobs in Armenia," said Hayk Chobanian, executive director of the Armenian Union
of Advanced Technology Enterprises.
Armenia has a vibrant IT industry that has grown rapidly for nearly two decades.
According to expert estimates, there were at least 2,000 vacancies in the sector
before the coronavirus pandemic.
Not all of the arriving Russian nationals plan to stay in Armenia. As one of
them put it, “Most likely I will stay here for a couple of months. After that
I'll get a job in Europe.”
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
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