Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor

The Council of Europe Committee of Ministers published a decision on “Saghatelyan v. Armenia” case on June 4.

Earlier, the observations on the case presented by the Open Society Foundations – Armenia, Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor, Transparency International Anti-Corruption Center, Protection of Rights without Borders NGO, and Law Development and Protection Foundations, as well as the responses of the Government were published.

The observations were presented in a procedure prescribed by CoE Committee of Ministers Rule 9.2 on the supervision of the execution of judgments and of the terms of friendly settlements. 

In the decision, among the general measures subject to implementation, the Committee of Ministers touched upon:

✅constitutional and legislative changes in the field of combating ill-treatment and allegations into such cases, called on the authorities to adopt the draft laws, without further delay, in order to make positive changes in the legal framework, and recommended the authorities to provide information on the implementation of laws,

✅Gradual establishment of the audio and video surveillance equipment in the RA Police premises and recommended the authorities to clarify their use and particularly whether the law enforcement bodies are obliged to use the audio and video recordings during interrogations as proof;

As well as,

✅strongly exhorted the authorities to do everything possible to avoid further delays in adopting the draft criminal procedure code and its entering into force, so that the practice of the Prosecutor's Office and judicial bodies be in line with the Convention requirements regarding arrest;

✅welcomed the measures taken in order to reduce overcrowding in prisons and called on the authorities to continue taking  decisive actions to fully overcome this problem: in this context, the Committee stressed the importance of specifying remedies used against the actions of prison administration and recommended the authorities to provide information on the results of appealing;

✅invited the authorities to provide updated information on unresolved issues by 31 March 2021.