Armenia has appointed a new Minister of Justice, filling a vacancy that had remained open for over a month.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan nominated Srbuhi Galyan for the position last week, and her appointment was formalized on November 5 through a decree signed by President Vahagn Khachaturyan.
At 32, Galyan brings experience from her role as Deputy Prosecutor General, where she managed efforts related to the confiscation of illegally obtained property. She began this role in September 2020 following a year as Deputy Minister of Justice. Prior to that, she worked with Armenia’s Investigation Service from 2015 to 2019.
Her appointment follows the October 1 resignation of former Justice Minister Grigor Minasyan. Minasyan stepped down after a group of over a dozen pro-government lawmakers petitioned Prime Minister Pashinyan to replace him, arguing that a new minister aligned with the ruling party would better serve in the role. Minasian is notably the brother of Mikael Minasyan, the fugitive son-in-law of former President Serzh Sargsyan.
Galian was chosen from a pool of five candidates, including Yeghishe Kirakosyan, Armenia’s representative for international legal issues, and Gagik Jhangiryan, a former acting chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council.
