Arrestee Detention Facilities of the Police (ADF)

Suren Iskandaryan, Chairman of the Public Monitoring Group at the Detention Facilities of the RA Police, which wascreated in 2005, summarized the year of 2011 and said that there had been some achievements, however,  there are still problems and things to do.

The Vanadzor Center for Strategic Litigation Human Rights NGO received a notice from the European Court of Human Rights, advising that the complaint from Artur Badalyan, who spent approximately 2 years as an  Azeri hostage and subjected to inhumane deprivations, was registered.

“The impetus of reforms has faded away and has returned to its origin.The reforms began years ago, when Davit Harutyunyan was the Minister of Justice, but regressedafterwards.In the situation of centralized authority, reforms cannot happen as the head of a PI does not report to the Minister of Justice.

On August 25, 2011 during our interview with Artur Sakunts, Head of Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly – Vanadzor,he reflected on the statement of the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Tortures, in which it is mentioned that the attitude towards the imprisoned by  policemen remains a serious problem in Armenia. 

The “Center for Strategic Litigation”, a human rights NGO, has sent a complaint to the ECHR with a claim to recognize the captivity of a native of Haghartsin Village, Artur Badalyan, and the torture exerted against him as violations of Article 3, 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Armenian citizen Artur Badalyan, who was tortured in Azerbaijani captivity 5 months ago, has appealed to the European Court of Human Rights filing a complaint against Azerbaijan.

Interview with Artur Sakunts, head of the "Helsinki Citizens' Assembly - Vanadzor Office" NGO, Head of the Group of Public Observers Conducting Monitoring of Penitentiary Institutions.

On May 25 of 2011, the European Commission released its report on Armenia regarding the “Implementation of the European Neighborhood Policy in 2010”.

On May 19 of 2011, the RA Criminal Court of Appeal heard the trial of Garnik Melikyan’s advocate Edmon Marukyan’s claim against the resolution taken by the RA Court of General Jurisdiction of Kentron and Nork-Marash Administrative Districts.

“The Armenian political authorities are discrediting the police”, stated the head of Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor. Arthur Sakunts made the statement at a press conference on Tuesday as he   spoke of alleged violations exerted against Stepan Hovakimyan suspected over a theft from the “Moskva” Cinema. It should be noted that Stepan Hovakimyan and Vahram Kerobyan, charged with a theft at the “Moskva” Cinema on January 10 of 2010, have been in custody for more than a year.

RA Human Rights Defender is the country’s independent national preventive mechanism required by the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture.

The preliminary investigation body excluded the version of murder, thereby preventing an objective investigation. 

On March 2011, Kotayk Region Court of First Instance decided to reject the resolution over filing a criminal case. 

On March 25 of 2011, G. Melikyan’s advocate E. Marukyan submitted a claim to the RA Criminal Court of Appeal against the resolution taken by the RA Court of General Jurisdiction of Kentron and Nork-Marash Administrative Districts. 

On March 14, the RA Court of First Instance of Kentron and Nork-Marash Administrative Districts, presided by Judge Mnatsakan Martirosyan, examined citizen Garnik Melikyan’s claim (the latter had been illegally brought to the police department by a police officer) against SIS investigator and decided to reject filing the criminal case.