Armenia’s top legal envoy position remains vacant four months after resignation

By Gevorg Tosunyan

Armenia has yet to appoint a new envoy to represent it in international courts, the position being vacant for more than four months, with speculation suggesting that the country’s leadership is aiming to abandon its lawsuits against Azerbaijan.

Yeghishe Kirakosyan, who had represented Armenia at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) since 2018 and headed the Office for International Legal Affairs since its creation in 2020, stepped down on March 5. The government said his resignation followed a mutual agreement but provided no further explanation.

Also read: Armenia’s top legal envoy resigns as Pashinyan eyes lawsuit withdrawal 

The Prime Minister’s Office told CivilNet on Monday that it is still “studying the pool of potential candidates” and that an appointment will be made “based on merit,” from among individuals with sufficient professional qualifications. Until then, the office is led by Kirakosyan’s deputy in accordance with Armenian law.

The delay comes amid heightened speculation that the government may be reconsidering its legal strategy in international courts. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has publicly stated that Armenia could be willing to drop cases against Azerbaijan should Baku do the same, hopeful of potentially signing a peace treaty between the nations.

Officials rejected suggestions that the vacancy is linked to such political considerations. The Prime Minister’s Office stressed that the representative’s mandate is broader than Armenia’s legal disputes with Azerbaijan and includes all matters before both the ECHR and the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Armenia has filed several high-profile cases with the ECHR, including claims over alleged war crimes, the detention of prisoners of war, and the forced displacement of ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh. A separate case at the ICJ accuses Azerbaijan of violating the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

Legal experts say the absence of a formally appointed representative may undermine Armenia’s ability to respond effectively to ongoing proceedings. Government officials insist there are no procedural obstacles to filling the post, but have not indicated when a final decision will be made.