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GALLUP POLL: COURTS IN KARABAKH TRUSTED MORE THAN ELSEWHERE IN FORMER SOVIET SPACE
Karabakh | 24.10.14 | 12:03
By Sara Khojoyan
ArmeniaNow reporter
Nagorno-Karabakh is ahead of all other post-Soviet areas by the level
of trust in its judicial system.
According to a research recently published by the American Gallup
sociological service, 72 percent of Nagorno-Karabakh's population
unconditionally trusts in the republic's judicial system.
It is noteworthy that according to the research, Karabakh people
trust in their courts twice more than Armenians in Armenia, where
only 30 percent views the work of judges as just, while almost half
of the population - 49 percent, as it turned out during the surveys,
said they do not trust courts.
And while Gallup's sociologists do not explain why the trust in courts
is so high in Nagorno-Karabakh, the president of the National Revival
Party in Karabakh, Hayk Khanumyan, relates this to the high level of
trust in all state institutions.
"That trust has been earned during many years, probably this is the
specificity of small societies, when strong trust is developed in state
institutions. We must mention that the people of Artsakh are quite
loyal and inclined toward cooperation with the police, which adds up
to the trust in the police and courts," Khanumyan told ArmeniaNow.
However, according to the Karabakh politician, the high level of
trust does not mean that courts are completely independent.
"There are enough problems in Artsakh related to human rights
protection. Non-influential character of human rights organizations,
the lack of quality advocacy services create problems in terms of
protecting citizens' rights, the courts are inclined to obey the
orders of the prosecution or the Executive/the country administration,"
Khanumyan emphasized.
>From this point of view, the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh is
very much like the one in Armenia, because human rights defenders
constantly alert that the solution to the problems the country is
facing will be possible only in conditions of just judicial system.
Meanwhile, increasing the salaries of the judges does not sound
encouraging for human rights activists.
It is noteworthy that the level of trust in the courts is low
in neighboring Azerbaijan as well, where only 41 percent of the
population trusts the judicial system, and 31 percent - on the
contrary. Interestingly, Gallup specialists also explain the reason
of distrust in the rule of law among Armenians and Azerbaijani by
"the international conflict and the claims about ethnic cleansing."
And by the level of trust in courts Georgia is the first among CIS
countries where 51 percent of the population believes in justice.
Georgia is followed by Belarus and Estonia where 47 percent of the
population unconditionally trusts the verdicts made by courts. And,
for instance, in Russia 54 percent of citizens do not trust the courts.
http://armenianow.com/karabakh/57915/armenia_karabakh_justice_opinion_polls_gallup
Karabakh | 24.10.14 | 12:03
By Sara Khojoyan
ArmeniaNow reporter
Nagorno-Karabakh is ahead of all other post-Soviet areas by the level
of trust in its judicial system.
According to a research recently published by the American Gallup
sociological service, 72 percent of Nagorno-Karabakh's population
unconditionally trusts in the republic's judicial system.
It is noteworthy that according to the research, Karabakh people
trust in their courts twice more than Armenians in Armenia, where
only 30 percent views the work of judges as just, while almost half
of the population - 49 percent, as it turned out during the surveys,
said they do not trust courts.
And while Gallup's sociologists do not explain why the trust in courts
is so high in Nagorno-Karabakh, the president of the National Revival
Party in Karabakh, Hayk Khanumyan, relates this to the high level of
trust in all state institutions.
"That trust has been earned during many years, probably this is the
specificity of small societies, when strong trust is developed in state
institutions. We must mention that the people of Artsakh are quite
loyal and inclined toward cooperation with the police, which adds up
to the trust in the police and courts," Khanumyan told ArmeniaNow.
However, according to the Karabakh politician, the high level of
trust does not mean that courts are completely independent.
"There are enough problems in Artsakh related to human rights
protection. Non-influential character of human rights organizations,
the lack of quality advocacy services create problems in terms of
protecting citizens' rights, the courts are inclined to obey the
orders of the prosecution or the Executive/the country administration,"
Khanumyan emphasized.
>From this point of view, the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh is
very much like the one in Armenia, because human rights defenders
constantly alert that the solution to the problems the country is
facing will be possible only in conditions of just judicial system.
Meanwhile, increasing the salaries of the judges does not sound
encouraging for human rights activists.
It is noteworthy that the level of trust in the courts is low
in neighboring Azerbaijan as well, where only 41 percent of the
population trusts the judicial system, and 31 percent - on the
contrary. Interestingly, Gallup specialists also explain the reason
of distrust in the rule of law among Armenians and Azerbaijani by
"the international conflict and the claims about ethnic cleansing."
And by the level of trust in courts Georgia is the first among CIS
countries where 51 percent of the population believes in justice.
Georgia is followed by Belarus and Estonia where 47 percent of the
population unconditionally trusts the verdicts made by courts. And,
for instance, in Russia 54 percent of citizens do not trust the courts.
http://armenianow.com/karabakh/57915/armenia_karabakh_justice_opinion_polls_gallup