On January 24, 2025, V.M., a resident of Vanadzor city, filed a report that he had been subjected to physical violence, degrading treatment and psychological pressure at the police station with the aim of extracting confession. As a result of the violence, V.M. had received many bodily injuries, which were documented both at a medical facility and through photographs.
On January 24-27, V.M. underwent forensic medical examination, as a result of which an expert conclusion was made. However, despite visible bruises and abrasions, the expert concluded that “objective signs of bodily injuries have not been found”.
Samson Galstyan, the attorney of HCA Vanadzor and the representative of the victim, has many times emphasized that the conclusion not only contradicts the medical documents and the photographic evidence, but was also prepared without sufficient examination. In particular, the expert ignored the injuries, bruises and swelling recorded in the hospital card.
However, Yuri Sargsyan, the investigator for particularly important cases, on 10.04.2025, made a decision to reject the petition without legal and grounded reasons. The appeal filed against the rejection was also dismissed by Prosecutor Aram Khudaverdyan from the Department for Cases of Crimes against State Power, in a decision dated May 17, 2025. The mentioned decisions in fact have ignored the evidence submitted by the victim, including the photographs, which in fact are proof of violence.
Currently, taking into account both the lack of expert evidence and the unlawful rejections by both the investigator and the prosecutor, we have applied to the court, claiming
- To annul the investigator’s decision to reject the motion for a re-examination,
- To annul the prosecutor’s decision not to accept the appeal against the above-mentioned rejection,
- And to order a second forensic medical examination for V.M.
This case is especially relevant now, as World #Week Against #Torture is underway. In this context, V.M.’s case is a reminder of how important it is for law enforcement bodies to ensure effective, independent, and thorough investigations into torture-related crimes. By rejecting the legally valid request for a re-examination, law enforcement bodies are jeopardizing not only the victim’s ability to obtain justice, but also public trust in the system as a whole.
Inadequate investigation of torture cases not only undermines the rights of the victim, but also contradicts Armenia’s international obligations to prevent torture.
