Armenian opposition seeks ouster of top court judge accused of gross misconduct

Panorama
Armenia – March 3 2023

The largest opposition Hayastan faction in the Armenian parliament has drafted a decision asking the National Assembly to apply to the Constitutional Court to dismiss its new judge, Seda Safaryan, who is accused of a gross misconduct, lawyer Arsen Babayan said on Friday.

Safaryan hired her husband as her driver and continued to work as an attorney after being appointed as a court justice last fall, sparking allegations of abuse of power.

“I held a phone call with Hayastan faction secretary Artsvik Minasyan a short while ago. He said that the faction had already drafted a decision on applying to the Constitutional Court over the case involving judge Seda Safaryan and would put it into circulation,” Babayan wrote on Facebook.

“The ball is now in the ruling team’s court. It’s for the parliament majority to decide whether to allow the judge installed by them to continue serving as a “judge-suspect” throughout her tenure or to apply to the Constitutional Court to settle the issue,” he added.