YEREVAN. – Zhoghovurd newspaper of Armenia writes: According to Zhoghovurd daily, Yerevan first instance general jurisdiction court Judge Arayik Melkumyan is in the US these days. But according to reports in the judicial system, he has sought political asylum there.

Recall that on February 14, 2019, the Supreme Judicial Council [(SJC)] applied the most severe disciplinary penalty against Judge Arayik Melkumyan; his powers were terminated. And Melkumyan, not reconciling with reality, applied to the Constitutional Court [(CC)] over his violated rights, and on December 24, the CC granted the appeal and ruled the SJC decision unconstitutional.

Arayik Melkumyan told Zhoghovurd daily that he was just learning and working in the United States, and announced that he would return to Armenia after being reinstated as a judge.