A. HAROUTIUNIAN: COMPLAINTS ABOUT TORTURES, VIOLENCE AT ARMENIA’S PENITENTIARY INSTITUTIONS ARE FEW BECAUSE OF FEAR
Noyan Tapan
Jan 19, 2009
YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, NOYAN TAPAN. PACE Monitoring Committee
Co-rapporteurs John Prescott and George Colombier did not have a
private meeting with RA Ombudsman Armen Haroutiunian on January 15,
the Ombudsman mentioned in his interview to the Shant TV company. He
also said that the meeting did not take place because Co-rapporteurs’
meeting with Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepian lasted longer than it
had been planned. The Ombudsman took part in Co-rapporteurs’ meeting
with the fact-finding group on the March 1 events in the status of
an observer, as the meeting was with the fact-finding group and it
is the group members who presented their approaches.
A. Haroutiunian emphasized that irrespective of the fact what
decision PACE January session will make Armenia should overcome public
relations’ crisis, the peak of which was March 1, the right of fair
trial should become real.
According to him, the courts should renounce ungrounded accusations. "I
have much hope that the court will be able to be at a proper level
on the "case of the seven," prosecutor party’s all weak grounds will
not find a motivation at the court," the Ombudsman said.
According to A. Haroutiunian, court sittings on the "case of the seven"
fail rather because defendants treat the court with disregard and do
not stand up. "One should not demand that the judge conduct a trial
with violation of law taking into consideration the fact that people
do not stand up," Armen Haroutiunian said mentioning that distrust to
the court has been the reason of such a situation so far. He considers
very wrong prosecutors’ proposal to continue the trial without the
defendants, as any lawyer knows that unless the state legislation has
such an institution, the judgements of the European Court of Human
Rights cannot be a basis for making such a decision.
"It can be even considered a provocation to defendants for them
to behave more emotionally and then they point to defendants’
actions." Nevertheless, the Ombudsman considers that though the
situation on the "case of the seven" is a deadlock, some solutions
will be found.
Armen Haroutiunian considers that Armenia’s delegation in PACE
consists of rather serious professionals, and they do their business
at a high level.
"Our weakness is not in delegation’s professionalism, but in "case of
the seven" prosecutor party’s accusations and approaches, which are
very strange in many cases. The Ombudsman refrained from expressing
his position on the case mentioning that after court’s judgement he
is going to give a special report.
A. Haroutiunian also said that unequivocally there was violence at
penitentiary institutions, there were also cases of psychological
pressure: in particular, Ombudsman’s office employees were told
that there was violence, but they do not want to officially apply,
as in that case the guys being in their prison cells "will have
problems." The Ombudsman said that in concrete cases they applied
to proper bodies, but it is very difficult to achieve something,
as the administration always tries to slur over, to consider that
the facts mentioned in the application are not grounded, etc.
He considers that "the atmosphere at penitentiary institutions is
unhealthy not only due the the guys on the March 1 cases, but also due
to the rest things. We have cases and will mention them in this year’s
annual report. We are convinced that there are cases of tortures,
violence, but the complaints are less than the cases because of fear,"
Armen Haroutiunian said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
