OSCE REVEALS SHORTCOMINGS IN ARMENIA’S JUSTICE SYSTEM

ArmInfo
2010-03-09 08:48:00

ArmInfo. The conduct of the trials that took place in the aftermath of
the March 2008 post-election violence in Yerevan reveals shortcomings
in Armenia’s justice system, concludes a report published on March 8 by
the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).

As OSCE official site reports, the 114-page report, based on
the monitoring of 93 criminal cases during a 16-month period,
offers detailed recommendations on how to address the identified
shortcomings. "The trials took place amid high tensions, which made
the work of courts extraordinarily difficult and at the same time
raised the bar for their professional performance to the highest
levels. We hope that this report can give new impetus to the ongoing
efforts by the Armenian authorities to reform the country’s justice
system in line with international standards and OSCE commitments",
Ambassador Janez Lenarcic, ODIHR’s director said.

The report’s recommendations include limiting the use of pre-trial
detention and upholding the presumption of innocence. It also
recommends measures to ensure equality between prosecution and defence
in court and comprehensive investigations into all allegations of
torture or other ill-treatment in order to eliminate the use of
evidence obtained through illegal means.

"The OSCE stands ready to assist the authorities in further advancing
justice reform in Armenia. We are encouraged by the open attitude we
have encountered during the trial monitoring project and value the
authorities’ input in the process of preparing the final report. It
appears that some steps are already being taken to address the
identified shortcomings", Lenarcic said.