VOSKERCHYAN TOLD ABOUT HIS SUFFERINGS

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[06:38 pm] 24 December, 2008

Advocate Stepan Voskanyan who presents the interests of detainee
Grigor Voskerchyan announced today that his defendant had been severely
beaten in the "Nubarashen" penitentiary institution on December 23.

Today the office of the Human Rights Defender issued a statement
which runs, "On December 22 detainee Gevorg Manukyan’s Advocate
Inessa Petrosyan reported that her defendant had been beaten in the
Nubarashen penitentiary. She also stated she was denied a meeting
with her defendant."

Following the Ombudsman’s instruction the office representatives
visited the penitentiary and met pre-trial detainees Grigor Voskerchyan
and Gevorg Manukyan.

During a meeting with Ombudsman’s representatives Voskerchyan said
that at about 10.00, December 23, 2008, on-duty Tatul Hakobyan intruded
into his cell with a few other people and began searching the cell.

After inquiring about Voskerchyan’s indictment one of them slapped
in his face and kicked him. The hard blows worsened Voskerchyan’s
state therefore he was late for a December 23 court sitting.

Later Detainee Gevorg Manukyan informed the Ombudsman’s Office that
he had already met his advocate. He refused to comment on the beating
unless he consulted with Inessa Petrosyan.

"RA Ombudsman Armen Harutyunyan condemns the recent violence against
pre-trail detainee Voskerchyan and considers it a pressure against
a prisoner at the bar. Relying on the information submitted by
Voskerchyan the Ombudsman has requested to the Ministry of Justice to
start a probe into the case of violence and punish the wrongdoers,"
holds the statement.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress