Category: 2022

Armenian President Armen Sarkissian is entitled to withdraw his resignation within one week, National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan announced at a parliament session on Monday, citing the Constitution and the Rules of Procedure of the parliament.

If the president withdraws his resignation within a week, the parliament speaker will issue a corresponding statement. Otherwise, his resignation will be considered accepted and effective, he said.

Armen Sarkissian tendered his resignation on Sunday, January 23.

Armenian President Armen Sarkissian’s resignation is "belated" or meaningless because it does not help resolve any problems facing the country, MP Artur Vanetsyan, the leader of the opposition With Honor parliamentary faction, told Sputnik Armenia.

Sarkissian submitted resignation on Sunday, stating that the president does not have the necessary tools to influence the important processes concerning the domestic and foreign policy in difficult times for the country.

Vanetsyan states the conduct of the current Armenian authorities are beyond “sound political logic”.

"The already former president, as a matter of fact, did not use at least the minimal powers vested in him by the Constitution in the most difficult times for our country and during the most important processes,” the lawmaker said.

“Sarkissian considered these powers insufficient or ineffective, whereas in many specific cases they could have helped resolve major challenges and problems facing our country. This, in turn, could have prevented the catastrophic situation which we have found ourselves in," he explained.

Taking all this into account, Vanetsyan thinks that it is of little importance whether the president resigned under pressure or voluntarily. In addition, according to the politician, during his tenure Sarkissian did not give reasons to put pressure on him and actively cooperated with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

Also, Vanetsyan said it is too early to talk about possible nomination of an opposition candidate for president.

"The Homeland Party led by me and the With Honor faction are yet to hold consultations on the matter. It will take some time," he noted.

Armenian MP Artur Ghazinyan from the opposition Hayastan (Armenia) alliance believes that President Armen Sarkissian’s resignation has “geopolitical overtones”.

Sarkissian submitted resignation late on Sunday, stating that the president does not have the necessary tools to influence the important processes concerning the domestic and foreign policy in difficult times for the country.

"Why now, on Sunday evening? A few days ago, Armen Sarkissian received funding for a 200 MW solar plant from the UAE, noting it was just the beginning. Events are unfolding very quickly, and the resignation has obvious geopolitical overtones,” the deputy wrote on Facebook.

“One thing is for sure: the political realities in Armenia have changed and further developments could lead to a complete change of power.

“We must be vigilant, sober and cautious. The existence of the Armenian statehood is at stake,” Ghazinyan said.

Armenia’s former Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan will remain in custody, his lawyer Sergey Hovhannisyan told reporters on Monday.

Judge Manvel Shahverdyan of the Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction denied a defense motion to release him, arms dealer Davit Galstyan and two other former senior military officials involved in the case, upholding their arrest, Pastinfo reported.

In the meantime, the court ruled to release Artyom Hambaryan, another defendant in the case, on a bail of 5 million drams (approx. $10,000).

Tonoyan’s lawyers had earlier asked the court to release their client under personal guarantees offered by MPs Kristine Poghosyan and Vilen Gabrielyan from the ruling Civil Contract party, as well as President of the Hanrapetutyun Party Aram Sargsyan.

Tonoyan was arrested on 30 September on charges of “fraud and embezzlement of large sums of money” as part of a criminal probe into supplies of allegedly faulty ammunition to the Armenian army.

There are no political prisoners in Armenia, a candidate for human rights defender, Kristine Grigoryan, said in the parliament on Monday, citing a PACE report.

Her comments came in response to a question of MP Anna Grigoryan, who represents the opposition Hayastan faction.

The candidate cited a report of the PACE Monitoring Committee, which has concluded that there are no political prisoners in the country.

“I agree with this statement,” she said.

In response, the opposition lawmaker recalled the criminal proceedings against the opposition heads of a number of Armenian communities, including against Goris community head Arush Arushanyan, who remains in custody. She provided details of the case and said that both Arushanyan and other arrested community leaders are political prisoners.

The candidate for ombudsperson argued that there are specific criteria determining whether a citizen is a political prisoner or not.

Separately, Grigoryan said she is ready to work both with the authorities and the opposition to address border security issues.

Noting that the delimitation and demarcation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border is a complex process, she stressed it must ensure the protection of human rights.   

"I will collaborate both with the ruling force and the opposition, as well as with the state and local self-government bodies to resolve the issues raised. I disagree with the idea that the ombudsperson’s only tool of influence is statements," she added.

"President Armen Sarkissian has always tacitly supported all initiatives brought by the current leaders of Armenia," opposition lawmaker from 'Armenia' bloc Aram Vardevanyan told reporters when asked to comment on the resignation of the president. 

In the words of Vardevanyan, the past four years in the post of the president, Sarkisian has been mostly complaining about his limited capacities, while has in fact failed to realise them in full. 

"I raise this with regret as the institute of the President could have seriously matured in the past period," stressed the opposition MP. As an example, he pointed to the capacities of the Human Rights Defender. 

"You may compare the passive  posture of the presidential institute with the efficiency of the Institute of the Human Rights Defender, when the latter has less capacities by the law," added Vardevanyan, suggesting the reason behind Sarkissian's resignation could be either some inter-political or external geopolitical processes and challenges.

Kristinne Grigoryan was elected on Monday as the Human Rights Defender of Armenia. Grigoryan's candidacy had been nominated by the "Civil Contract" faction and  was backed by the 68 votes of the lawmakers from the ruling force.  Grigoryan will replace Arman Tatoyan who had served in the position since 2016.  

Following the announcement of the results, Grigoryan took oath in the presence of the parliamentarians. 

"By assuming the office of the Defender, I hereby swear to defend the human rights and freedoms of an individual and a citizen, remaining faithful to the Constitution and the laws of the Republic of Armenia and the principles of justice. I swear to exercise my powers impartially, in good faith and with due diligence," Grigoryan said. 

To note, the Defender is elected by the National Assembly, upon recommendation of the competent standing committee of the National Assembly, by at least three fifths of votes of the total number of the members of the Parliament, for a term of six years.

To remind, the opposition factions boycotted the vote.

Artsakh Republic State Minister Artak Beglaryan and the Primate of the Artsakh Diocese, Bishop Vrtanes Abrahamyan, received on Monday a group of clergymen who had been carrying out spiritual service at Dadivank Monastery. As the press service at the state ministry reported, the clergymen were back after 8-month service 

To note, the monastery, under the protection of Russian peacekeepers at present, is located in Artsakh's Karvachar region, which had been handed over to Azerbaijan under the trilateral statement from November 9, 2020.

According to the source, State Minister Beglaryan praised the work of the Artsakh Diocese on the frontline of spiritual struggle and its mission for preserving spiritual values. Beglaryan expressed hope that the issue of Dadivank, the status of Artsakh in general, its security and eternity of values will receive a fair solution. 

By the decision of the Artsakh president, five clergymen were awarded with state medals for conducting services and liturgies at the monastery during the difficult post-war period.