The leader of the Bright Armenia party, Edmon Marukyan, has criticized a legislative proposal from the Ministry of Justice, claiming it violates the principle of the presumption of innocence. He expressed his concerns in a post on his Telegram channel.

Marukyan stated that the Ministry of Justice should simply withdraw the proposal and refrain from presenting such “shameful” initiatives in the future.

“It’s not new that the Justice Ministry has proposed a draft law stating that contesting an administrative act—whether against an individual or a business—does not suspend the obligation to pay. In other words, if tax authorities impose an additional tax or fine, it must be paid before a final court decision is made, regardless of whether the decision is appealed.

According to data from 2019 to 2024, the State Revenue Committee (SRC) has lost the majority of lawsuits filed against it. Out of 10,779 cases, the courts ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in 7,163. This shows that a significant portion of the SRC’s decisions were later found groundless. Meanwhile, proceedings in administrative courts—both first-instance and appellate—take over two years on average, during which the disputed funds remain unavailable to the individuals or businesses involved. This can severely affect their financial situation, especially in cases involving large sums. And just yesterday, the Minister of Justice announced a public discussion on this bill.

In my opinion, there is nothing to discuss. The Ministry should withdraw the bill and avoid proposing such disgraceful initiatives in the future. Understand once and for all that you are violating the presumption of innocence by requiring payment before a final court ruling,” the post reads.

Marukyan added that this constitutes unconstitutional administration and that no government claiming to be democratic has the right to pass such a law.

“I urge the Justice Ministry to immediately abandon this draft, which grossly violates human rights,” he wrote.