Armenia’s third president, Serzh Sargsyan, responded to the sentencing of David Hambardzumyan, the opposition’s candidate for prime minister in the ongoing impeachment process, calling it a politically motivated decision and a reflection of Armenia’s compromised judiciary.
“The ruling clearly lacked serious evidence. An unprecedented sentence was imposed under this charge, specifically to avoid it being reduced under amnesty,” said Sargsyan, as reported by “Pastinfo.”
He claimed the country’s judicial verdicts are determined by the will of a single individual, implying the influence of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
Commenting on the silence of international organizations, Sargsyan stated they back the current government not out of principle but because of their vested interests.
*David Hambardzumyan, head of the Masis community and the opposition’s candidate for prime minister during the impeachment initiative, was arrested upon arrival at Zvartnots Airport after being sentenced to more than six years in prison.
According to law enforcement, he and his brother were involved in an April 2018 incident at a busy intersection between Hayanist and Hovtashat settlements. He also previously faced separate charges for alleged violence against protesters and incitement of unrest during the 2018 revolution in Yerevan’s Erebuni district. In that case, a court had ruled to release him due to a lack of sufficient evidence and the inappropriateness of pre-trial detention.*
