Former chief prosecutor warns of political influence over Armenia's judiciary

Former Armenian Prosecutor General Artur Davtyan warns that the country’s justice system faces a deep institutional crisis, accusing political leaders of justifying their influence over the courts.

Speaking at a discussion on Saturday, Davtyan said Armenia’s 35-year-old statehood has been marked by persistent public perception that the judiciary is not independent. “There have been cases that gave grounds for such perceptions,” he said.

Davtyan cited several examples, including the dismissal of judicial leaders “by an SMS from the Armenian leader” without any public explanation and politically motivated prosecutions targeting businessman and philanthropist Samvel Karapetyan and senior Armenian clergymen.

He accused Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of publicly justifying his influence over the judiciary, warning that it undermines public confidence in the rule of law. Davtyan called for addressing the root causes of what he called a “deep institutional crisis” within Armenia’s justice system.