PAP representative on Tsarukyan`s case: Current authorities in  Armenia   demonstrate total disregard for law, public interest, and  justice 

ArmInfo. The current government in Armenia, through its actions, including against Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) leader Gagik Tsarukyan, is seeking to demonstrate that they operate without constrains  from the law,  public interest, or the principles of justice, as stated by PAP  representative Elinar Vardanyan  to journalists on July 24 outside  the Investigative Department of the State Revenue Committee of  Armenia, where Tsarukyan is undergoing  another interrogation.

She urged  to note that the processes unfolding in Armenia have  nothing to do with the rule of law.  According to Vardanyan, they  encounter daily violations of the Constitution, which has effectively  ceased to function. In her view, the entire proceeding is an explicit  act of political persecution. To support this claim, she recalled  how, during the pre-election period, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol  Pashinyan signaled the need for the PAP leader's arrest. "This served  as a direct instruction to law enforcement agencies to initiate a  fabricated criminal case and thereby isolate Tsarukyan," Vardanyan  stated.

She noted that the criminal proceedings themselves are also fraught  with numerous violations of legal norms. In particular, she recalled  the removal of lawyer Yerem Sargsyan from the case, as well as the  situation in which he was summoned for questioning despite the  guarantees provided by the Law on Advocacy and the institution of  attorney-client privilege. According to Vardanyan, according to this  principle, a lawyer cannot be interrogated  regarding matters related  to their professional  activities.  "However, we have witnessed this  legal chaos, the purpose of which is to create the most unfavorable  conditions for Tsarukyan, including within the framework of this  fabricated case. In this way, the authorities are seeking to convey  two key messages: that anyone who holds an opposing position may face  arrest, and that the current government does whatever it wants,  meaning it is not constrained by the law, the public interests, or  the principles of justice,"  the PAP representative clarified.

Vardanyan noted that, under these circumstances, she has no  expectations from the State Revenue Committee's Investigative  Department, where the interrogation is taking place, nor from the  judicial system as a whole. According to her, experience shows that  in rare cases, judges have made decisions that comply with the law  and the rule of law. She added that, in the current reality, one can  only hope that the case will be referred to a judge who will be  guided exclusively by the law and legal principles. "We don't expect  anything from state agencies, since they act in the interests of one  person and will ultimately make a decision dictated  from above," the  PPA representative concluded.