Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor

Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor undertook the protection of the rights of the legal successor of Julieta Ghukasyan, a resident of Gyumri, who died in hospital on December 3, 2018, after being beaten by the Russian military base serviceman A. R.

On December 21, 2018, HCA Vanadzor chairman Artur Sakunts and lawyers Arayik Zalyan and Hayk Hakobyan made a petition to Shirak region investigation department PIC investigator A. Mnoyan to transfer the accused A. R., who is held in the territory of the Russian Federation military base 102, to the appropriate penitentiary institution of the Republic of Armenia.  

 They also invoked that one of the provisions of the “Agreement between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Armenia on jurisdiction and mutual legal assistance in cases related to the presence of Russian military base on the territory of the Republic of Armenia ” states that “In cases of crimes and other offenses committed in the territory of the Republic of Armenia by members of the Russian military base and by family members of those persons, the legislation of the Republic of Armenia is applied, and the case is investigated by RA competent authorities.”

It is a fact that the military base is located on the territory of the Republic of Armenia and in this case, RA legislation should be applied.

The crime committed is not classified among the exceptions determined by the agreement, in cases of which the RF legislation is applied, in particular, the criminal case was not initiated on the territory of the location points of the Russian military base, against persons who are members of the Russian military base or their family members or for committing a military crime.

On this basis, the representatives of Julieta Ghukasyan’s legal successor claimed that PIC investigator A. Mnoyan, who conducts the proceedings of the case, take measures for transferring accused A. R. from the territory of the military base to the RA penitentiary institution. The body conducting the proceedings has not yet made a decision upon the petition.