Court Refuses to Comply with Supreme Judicial Council's Directive to Dismiss Criminal Case on Failure to Tackle Coronavirus

Recently, the Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction postponed the examination of a complaint by Arthur Ghazinyan, the leader of the 'One Armenia' party, regarding the request to initiate a criminal case on the grounds of failing to tackle the new coronavirus pandemic. According to 'Fact' newspaper, this issue greatly concerns the authorities.

Our sources indicate that attempts were made by the Supreme Judicial Council and governmental circles to persuade the judge to dismiss Ghazinyan's complaint. However, Judge Manvel Shahgeldyan stated that the complaint is solid and well-founded, and he does not intend to take on such a burden and responsibility.

Consequently, it has been decided to delay the court proceedings as much as possible under various pretexts. The hope is that over time other events will occur in the country, and public interest in the topic of 'failure to tackle the coronavirus pandemic' will diminish. It is noteworthy that the initial hearing was postponed on the grounds that the court had not yet had the chance to review the materials, as the investigator had sent them late and had not even attended the session.