Օn June 21, Petros Ghazaryan hosted Human rights activist Avetik Ishkhanyan, political commentator Hakob Badalyan, director Ruben Babayan, ethnographer Hranush Kharatyan. The public discussion was titled “ahead of the social changes”. The conversation started with the events around Gagik Tsarukyan, but the transition to the judicial system took place. It was not accidental, as a special sitting will be held in the National Assembly this week, most likely, the bill on constitutional reforms will be on the agenda as well.
Petros Ghazaryan asked the guests the same question, regarding their conviction whether Gagik Tsarukyan’s representatives distributed money during the 2017 parliamentary elections or not. Director Ruben Babayan said that he is not a judge to judge, noting that they constantly talk about the need to have an independent judiciary, but during these two years he has not heard a clear explanation of how they will implement it, by what mechanism. Ethnographer Hranush Kharatyan agreed with the voiced opinion. Human rights activist Avetik Ishkhanyan added that the demand for judicial reforms has been raised by several NGOs, but the society demands retribution. Society does not go seek those values, but a savior. All the guests reaffirmed that the government’s rating has fallen.
Though the discussion did not concern the Constitutional Court, Petros Ghazaryan twice mockingly addressed Hrayr Tovmasyan: “When we were telling Hrayr Tovmasyan not to write such a constitution…,” “Is Hrayr Tovmasyan an independent judge?” Ishkhanyan answered that the Constitutional Court recently declared the law on banking secrecy to be unconstitutional, which was the most serious blow to banking secrecy, investments, etc. That is Tovmasyan. The human rights activist mentioned that he does not trust the Investigative Body, the National Security Service, if there is even a political component in connection with Tsarukyan’s case, the issue is political: “They went to search the house, but they showed the luxury of the house, in order to influence the society, to make them see those who “suck their blood”. What did it have to do with the criminal case, aggravating the population to see how the rich live, and how they live in poverty? The presumption of innocence that has been violated many times in Armenia, such violations as have happened recently, have not happened in the past. As for those who are disappointed with the revolution, it is better to be disappointed consciously than to be desperate. When the Prime Minister uses such vocabulary in the National Assembly as outcasts, etc., and those 88 people applause with the smiles on their faces, calling themselves civilized, it means they have also given an oath of allegiance to the Prime Minister.”
The guests raised the question of whether the society is ready to have an independent judiciary and will not bury one or the other party: “We worship this, justice should be implemented to this, and not to this.” Hakob Badalyan noted: “We cannot make a judicial reform until all the participants in political life have reached a common consensus.”
“Media Advocate” initiative reminds that Petros Ghazaryan was nominated from the PAP list in the 2018 Yerevan Council of Elders elections, and was the second number after Naira Zohrabyan. Before that, he worked for many years in “Kentron” TV company belonging to Gagik Tsarukyan, hosted the “Urvagits” (“Outline”) program. In 2016, Tsarukyan ordered Petros Ghazaryan to be dismissed, then again admitted to work, and in 2018 he was fired again.
