The judicial code defines donation limitations to judges. All donations having perception of a bribe must be reported within a week to the Ethics and Disciplinary Committee of Judges.
Commission for the Prevention of Corruption data research reveals that:
Judge Davit Grigoryan, who released former president Kocharyan, received an apartment worth 70 million drams in 2014 and a garden worth 4.8 million drams in the form of a donation.
Another judge of the first instance of general jurisdiction of the city of Yerevan Gagik Poghosyan received a donation of 3 million drams in 2015. And his wife, Lilit Gabrielyan, “received more attention”․ She got in 2011 — $ 15,000 donation, in 2012 — $ 2,000, and in 2014 — $ 10,000 donation.
Former judge Gagik Khandanyan received a 40 million AMD apartment and a 5 million AMD garage as a donation in 2015.
The newly appointed judge Ruzanna Azroyan received a donation of 30,000 dollars in form of property in 2018.
Per Judicial Code, If it is not possible to return the gift or pay adequate compensation within the established period, the judge is obliged to deliver the gift to the Republic of Armenia within one week after receiving it, in accordance with the procedure established by the Government.
These donations should be brought to Judges’ Ethics and Disciplinary Committee’s attention. However, in accordance with our information, such question has never been discussed and/or returned to the budget.
Armenian judges freely receive money, real estate, valuables as gifts, whereas the Ethics Committee of Judges keeps its eyes as closed as Femida.
