Russian analyst: "Kocharyan case" pushes scrapping of judicial power  in Armenia

ArmInfo. After the "velvet  revolution" before the team of Nikol Pashinyan there was a choice  either to coexist with elements of the old system, either immediately  or gradually to break it.

ArmInfo was expressed by Sergey Markedonov,  leading researcher at the Center for Euro-Atlantic Security at the  Institute of International Studies at MGIMO."Even then, a year ago,  Pashinyan chose to gradually break the entire system. First, the  Yerevan mayor's office was taken, then the National Assembly, which  led to a complete reformatting of the political landscape of the  country. By the way, as now, the Prime Minister held early  parliamentary elections expressed on the streets, the activity of  citizens of the country. And now it is the turn of the judiciary. I  do not exclude that the decision on the judicial branch could be made  much later, in a much more relaxed atmosphere. If it had not been for  Kocharyan's a "which prompted the demolition of the judiciary in  Armenia," the analyst said.On May 20, the Armenian Prime Minister  voiced the need for "surgical intervention" in the judicial system,  stipulating this by the distrust of the Armenian public regarding the  courts. 

Pashinyan stressed the need to subject Armenian judges to venting and  introduce transitional justice mechanisms in the country.On the same  day, his conscripts blocked the buildings of the courts throughout  Armenia, after which Pashinyan demanded that the judges, "passing  verdicts violating the rights of citizens", resign.According to  Markedonov, dissatisfaction of citizens with the judicial system  inherited by the country from the previous government is far from  news. And public support, coupled with a significant administrative  resource, completely allow the current prime minister to finally  satisfy this dissatisfaction through the second phase of the velvet  revolution. In this sense, the decision of the court on the release  of ex-President Robert Kocharian on bail of the current and former  leaders of Artsakh, adopted recently, became a natural catalyst for  this process.According to Markedonov, the public request for a fair  and objective investigation of all the circumstances of the tragedy  of March 1, 2008 is obvious. It is also obvious that the authorities  are ready to satisfy this request, willingness to settle with the  past, claiming to build a new Armenia. In this light, according to  his forecasts, making concessions in relation to Kocharyan will mean  for Pashinyan a loss of face.According to analyst estimates, very  complex systemic reforms are not capable of bringing quick dividends.

 Struggle with the legacy of the past, which stands in the way of  building a new Armenia, can bring them.  And the Kocharyan Case says  that the new authorities of Armenia have already decided on the main  cause of the past and present problems of the country. In  Markedonov's opinion, in the situation around the ex- president, the  authorities, first of all, excited the possibility of the judges to  act as autonomous decision- making centers. And the very possibility  of sentencing in spite of the formation of a new Armenia, as it is  represented today in Yerevan, creates political problems in any case.