On August 17th, 2018, Armenians gathered in the Republic Square of Yerevan, Armenia to celebrate the Velvet Revolution and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s 100th day in office. In an address to the nation, Prime Minister Pashinyan introduced, amongst other items, the idea of a transitional judicial system, describing the measure as “an internationally accepted practice.” Pashinyan explained: “I am briefed by law enforcement that millions of dollars are on bank accounts of certain people. Obviously, those are illegally obtained money, yet our legal and criminal regulations do not allow us to properly investigate the origin of the money and return them.”

Pashinyan pledged that he would not interfere with the courts and judges, stating that “the judges who act within the law and are responsible for their rulings are welcome.” The Prime Minister went on to warn that “the same is not intended for those judges who will attempt to endanger the judicial system through ruling decisions under pressure from third parties or bribes.” The former ruling party of Armenia described this move as an interference and threat to the independence of the judicial power.

The Zoryan Institute feels that it is beneficial for its supporters and  “Zoryan Friends” to have answers to the questions raised in the title. A report written by Dr. Nerses Kopalyan, courtesy of EVN Report, explains what is involved in transitional justice and explores the pros and cons of applying transitional justice in Armenia. Please click on the link below to read the full article:

https://www.evnreport.com/politics/why-the-corrupt-are-terrified-of-transitional-justice