YEREVAN. – Everything is going in a normal course; that is, everyone’s rights are protected. The Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, on Wednesday told this to reporters in parliament.

He noted this referring to the court decision on the criminal case involving second President Robert Kocharyan and some other former officials—and regarding the events that occurred in capital city Yerevan in March 2008—and whereby Kocharyan was released from custody, and this criminal case was suspended and forwarded to the Constitutional Court (CC).

To the remark that the victims’ relatives—who are recognized as injured parties in this criminal case—are concerned that being a person appointed by the preceding authorities, the serving CC president will rule in Kocharyan’s favor, the PM responded as follows: “I can’t assess the lawfulness, or the unlawfulness, of any decision of any court instance. (…). But the fact is that today the judicial system [in Armenia] doesn’t have the people’s trust. Consequently, no power can exist in the Republic of Armenia that doesn’t stem from the people. (…). So, the whole logic of judicial reforms [in the country] should be that the judicial system should represent the people.”

As to the criminal case involving Robert Kocharyan, the Armenian PM said appeals have been filed related to it, and they will see what will happen.