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The Armenian Union of Judges issued a statement regarding the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in the case of Suren Antonyan v. Armenia. The full statement is provided below.

“It its judgement delivered on Thursday, the European Court of Human Rights held that there had been a violation of the right to a fair hearing in the case involving Suren Antonyan, a dismissed judge of the Civil and Administrative Chamber of the Court of Cassation.

In particular, the ECHR found that the Supreme Judicial Council had failed to dispel Suren Antonyan’s justifiable doubts concerning the impartiality of its chair and that he had not been provided with sufficient procedural safeguards in that respect.

Earlier on 26 January 2023, the Supreme Judicial Council chaired by Karen Andreasyan and with the participation of its members Hayk Grigoryan, Yeranui Tumanyants, Naira Hovsepyan, Mesrop Makyan, Ani Mkhitaryan, Vigen Kocharyan and Sergey Chichoyan approved then Minister of Justice Grigor Minasyan’s request for disciplinary action and dismissed Suren Antonyan as a judge of the Civil and Administrative Chamber of the Court of Cassation due to a grave disciplinary violation.

It’s worth noting that during the hearings at the SJC, Suren Antonyan submitted a motion for the recusal of Karen Andreasyan, arguing that the request for disciplinary proceedings could not be examined by Andreasyan impartially due to his economic and financial ties with Grigor Minasyan. However, the motion was denied.

The ECHR judgment reflected the long-standing concern repeatedly voiced by the Union of Judges."