Former Supreme Judicial Council head jailed for 1.6 years

PanARMENIAN.Net - Former chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) Rubén Vardazaryan has been found guilty and sentenced to 1.6 years in prison for abuse of official position and interfering in the administration of justice.

The verdict was announced at the Anti-Corruption Court, presided over by Judge Vahe Dolmazyan, Panorama.am reported.

The court found Vardazaryan guilty under Part 2, Point 2 of Article 486 of the Criminal Code, in force since 2021, which penalizes interference in justice or in case proceedings by using official powers or influence derived from them.

In addition to imprisonment, he was banned for two years from holding positions in local or state self-government bodies or their structures. Until the verdict enters into legal force, his existing restraint measure — a signature bond not to leave — remains in place.

According to the indictment, Vardazaryan, who headed the Supreme Judicial Council since July 19, 2019, acted beyond his powers. Specifically, using the authority stemming from his position, he interfered in the judicial process conducted by Judge Andranik Simonyan of the Lori Region Court of General Jurisdiction.