The state budget continues to bear a huge financial burden due to criminal cases that are dragging on for years. From 2020 to August 18, 2026, approximately 167 million drams have been paid to six judges whose powers have been suspended and who are undergoing criminal proceedings. They receive compensation for forced idleness not due to their fault every month. Meanwhile, the criminal proceedings against them have not progressed for years:
As of August 18, 2026, the powers of three bankruptcy judges—Ara Kubanyan, Gevorg Nariyan, and Tigran Poladyan—as well as the judge of the Yerevan City Court of General Jurisdiction Artush Gabrielyan and the judge of the Armavir Region Court of General Jurisdiction Naira Grigoryan have been suspended:
Since October 2022, the powers of the judge of the Yerevan City Court of General Jurisdiction Arusyak Aleksanyan have also been suspended, but she submitted a resignation request, and the Supreme Judicial Council terminated her powers on August 14, 2026:
The suspension of judges' powers is due to the criminal proceedings initiated against them. Despite the charges brought against them, they are considered innocent until the final act of the court. One of the legal guarantees arising from the presumption of innocence is compensation for idleness. According to the Judicial Code, during the suspension of their powers, judges are paid as employees in forced idleness not due to their fault. According to the Labor Code, this compensation amounts to two-thirds of their average hourly wage.
However, the investigation of criminal cases often takes years. As a result, a situation arises where a judge does not perform their duties but continues to receive a salary by virtue of the presumption of innocence. On the one hand, this is an important guarantee of the independence of the judge so that punitive measures are not applied to them until a final verdict is reached. On the other hand, a fair question arises: how reasonable is it to spend public funds on individuals who do not perform judicial functions for years?
The longest suspended powers belong to bankruptcy judges Ara Kubanyan and Gevorg Nariyan, whose powers have been suspended since July 21, 2020. They have been in this status for more than six years, while their criminal cases have still not received a final resolution. The criminal case against Nariyan and Kubanyan was sent to court in April 2022. The case has been under consideration in the first instance court for four years. It is possible that after the verdict is rendered, the dissatisfied party will appeal. At least another year will be spent in appellate courts. However, it is still unclear when the consideration of the case will conclude in the first instance court.
As of December 2023, the powers of another bankruptcy judge, Tigran Poladyan, have also been suspended. His criminal case has been under consideration in the Anti-Corruption Court since January 2024, but no verdict has yet been reached:
Over six years, this uncertainty has cost the state budget approximately 167 million drams. This money has been paid under the guarantees for judges, but the longer the criminal cases against them are delayed, the longer this expense persists. This is also evidenced by the fact that the amount paid each year is increasing. As a result, what is intended as a guarantee of legal protection for judges, in the context of prolonged litigation, also turns into a continuous financial obligation for the state.
