HCA Vanadzor regularly receives complaints from citizens regarding instances of violence, inhuman and degrading treatment used against them at the police stations.

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.

“Vladimir Gasparyan stood out only for personnel changes,” said Chairman of Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor, Artur Sakunts, to 1in.am, in summarizing the first month of service of Vladimir Gasparyan. 

“Two days ago, I heard from a credible source that there was a discussion about attempting to fabricate a case against me. I was told that there was a conversation about instituting a criminal case against me regarding a crime report,” said human rights activist Artur Sakunts, who recently appeared in the focus of the “military patriotic” declarations of the representatives of the RA Authorities.

“This is not the first time that police officers have tried to silence me,” Artur Sakunts, Chairman of Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor, stated to Tert.am.

The hearing of the appeal against the decision of the Court of Common Jurisdiction of Kentron and Nork-Marash Administrative Districts is scheduled for 11:00 a.m., on December 8, 2011, at the RA Court of Appeals (Address: 23 Garegin Nzhdeh, Judge H. Ter-Adamyan).

The court ruled that the police did not use violence against suspects, Vladimir Tonoyan and Armen Melkonyan.

The human rights organization has appealed to the RA Court of Cassation

Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor NGO appealed to the RA Court of Cassation, demanding that they reverse the decision of the RA Criminal Court of Appeals and send the case to the same court for re-examination.

The court examination of the HCA Vanadzor claim against the decision of the Investigator of the Tavush Region Investigation Division of the General Investigation Department of the RA Police, to terminate case proceedings, is scheduled for 2:00 p.m., November 24, 2011.

According to our information, after Vladimir Gasparyan was appointed as the RA Chief of Police, the US Government decided to terminate the financial and technical assistance provided to the RA Police.

Gevorg Gevorgyan, the investigator who terminated the proceedings of the case of ArmanYengibaryan, who was shot dead by a police officer on June 14, 2011 at Garegin Nzhdeh Metro Station, will be the new head of the Yerevan Investigation Department of the Criminal Case Department.

“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.

The day after being appointed as the chief of police, Vladimir Gasparyan initiated serious personnel changes in the system. Now, the RA Police, wake up every morning wondering if it is their turn. They even say that Vano’s times are returning. 

The first hearing of the HCA Vanadzor claim against the decision of S. Saghatelyan, Investigator of the Tavush Region Investigation Division of the General Investigation Department of the RA Police, to terminate the case proceedings, was held on November 15, 2011.

On October 27, 2011, at approximately 1:30 p.m., a group of police officers prohibited citizens’ free movement near the area around the RA Kentron Police Department.