Pashinyan: Investigative Committee’s work crucial to strengthening public trust in justice

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said that the Investigative Committee’s work is crucial to strengthening public trust in state institutions and creating a sense among citizens that they live in a fair country.

Pashinyan made the remarks on October 8 at a ceremonial meeting marking Investigative Committee Personnel Day.

Pashinyan congratulated those present on the occasion and thanked them for their service.

Referring to the part of Investigative Committee Chairman Artur Poghosyan’s speech concerning the recent solving of the murder of Artsrun Margaryan, a former Armenian security official who was killed in the late 1990s, Pashinyan said that this demonstrates a new level of quality and consistency in the Committee’s work.

“I want to thank the Investigative Committee employees and investigators who participated in the case, and you as well, Mr. Poghosyan.”

Pashinyan said that during this period, the murder of Vahram Khorkhoruni, a high-ranking Armenian Defense Ministry official who was killed in the late 1990s, and a number of other cases had also been solved. He emphasized that the use of modern technologies makes solving cases easier, but said that the cases mentioned above demonstrate the Investigative Committee’s continued development.

“Thank you also for noting that the Government is sparing no effort. Indeed, I do not remember a single issue that the Investigative Committee has raised with the Government that has not been resolved.”

According to the Prime Minister, these breakthroughs also contribute to creating a sense among citizens that they live in a fair country.

“The fundamental issue here is not only the specific cases, but also public trust in state institutions and the state. Today, as yesterday, the biggest problem that people see and the biggest demand and expectation they have is justice. And how do we reach a point where citizens can say that they live in a just country and in a just environment? This, incidentally, is not a simple problem, because there are no simple formulaic solutions there. It is a deep social-psychological, philosophical, but also very concrete operational problem, and at least a significant part of that problem is considered precisely in the context of the investigation of criminal cases. I hope that what you are saying, Mr. Poghosyan, really does not mean that we have solved one, two or four more cases, but that we have entered a completely different phase and that the problems we had before are no longer being repeated.”

Pashinyan stressed that the work of the Government, ministries and the Investigative Committee will never be perfect, but said the issue is not perfection, but the extent to which they are committed to justice.

“As a state, we must take particular care of the rights of those people who have limitations in terms of their ability to protect their own rights,” the Prime Minister said, adding that every citizen should feel the protection of the state, the protection of the law and the protection of their rights.

In this context, the Prime Minister emphasized that the Investigative Committee has a great responsibility in this regard, and that this responsibility will continue to grow, as expectations among the public increase. He said that cases dating back 10, 15 or 20 years, which people believe were not solved fairly, are creating growing expectations that they will now be solved.

Pashinyan also made the following observations:

“There are indeed cases that reach a dead end on their own and cannot be solved. This is not only the case in Armenia; this problem exists throughout the world. This is where we need to make sure that new technologies and capabilities are introduced, including in the work of the Investigative Committee. At least, I believe and hope that it is visible that the Government and I personally greatly appreciate the work being done and are trying to do everything within our power to ensure that the Investigative Committee develops normally, because the effectiveness of the Investigative Committee’s activities depends on this.

“We are trying to do everything so that investigators and Investigative Committee employees have as reliable a system of social guarantees as possible. And, of course, we will continue this policy. But on the other hand, we must understand that these two processes are very interconnected, because, by and large, the capabilities of the Republic of Armenia and the state budget also depend on the work of the Investigative Committee. I do not mean only the recovery of damages in specific criminal cases, but also that it is very important for economic activity that potential investors know that, if there is a problem, they will be able to protect their rights and operate under equal competitive conditions with their other competitors.

“Of course, this is an issue that does not concern only the Investigative Committee, but a number of state agencies. But I want us to recognize the interconnectedness of these processes and be able not to forget every day in our work what problem we are solving. All of us, in my opinion, are solving the problem of forming, in the mind of the citizen of the Republic of Armenia, justice and fairness in the Republic of Armenia as a social psychology — so that a person thinks that they live in a just country, so that a person thinks that the possibilities of becoming a victim of injustice are becoming fewer and fewer.”

Concluding his remarks, the Prime Minister said:

“We must record that the trend in criminal case statistics ultimately also testifies to this: people are turning to the Investigative Committee with greater confidence. An increase in the number of criminal cases does not always mean an increase in crime; sometimes it means an increase in trust, when people can turn to law-enforcement bodies, and particularly to the Investigative Committee, with greater confidence.”

Once again congratulating Investigative Committee employees on their professional day, Pashinyan wished them success in carrying out, with increasingly high quality, the very important state, moral and human mission of establishing justice and the administration of justice in Armenia.

A number of Investigative Committee employees were awarded Prime Minister’s commemorative medals, certificates of appreciation and valuable gifts.