The preliminary investigations of 2 criminal cases initiated by the RA Special Investigation Service for violence against citizens by police officers are completed.

 

During the preliminary investigation of one of these cases, three operatives of Criminal Intelligence Department of Nor Nork of Yerevan City were charged under Article 309.1, Part 2, Points 1 and 4 of the RA Criminal Code for taking to the police station of Nor Nork V. O., resident of Yerevan and weightlifter A. GH., the acquaintance of the latter, at 01:00, on September 6, 2020 where they were tortured for punishing them for their actions.

 

In particular, after a quarrel between a saleswoman and a client, the saleswoman at the Dreamland design store, one of the operatives who was the saleswoman's husband, and his two co-workers, put them in the car with force and factually brought them to the police department.

 

However, instead of making a protocol on "bringing to the station", they made protocols on "submitting the police department", and though A. GH. had nothing to do with the quarrel of the store, he was suspected for having a quarrel.

 

Then, in order to punish them, T. A. together with the other two officers of the same department with other unidentified officers hit them in different study-rooms of the department with group, cursing, torturing with their fists and hands.

 

Detention was chosen as measure of deprivation.  

 

In another criminal case initiated in the RA Special Investigation Service on August 27, 2020, 3 inspectors of the RA Traffic Police of the Police were charged under Article 309, Part 2 of the RA Criminal Code, for using physical force instead of legal means, they obviously went beyond their authority and beat in the  territory of Police station the citizen who was under the influence of alcohol and cursed the police officers, as well as the latter’s brother, who had arrived at the mentioned place to get out the car from the station.

 

After confirmation the indictments were sent to the Court of General Jurisdiction of Yerevan City by the Department of Supervision over Legality of Pre-trial Proceedings in the RA SIS of the RA General Prosecutor’s Office for further examination.

 

 

In general, during 2020, 142 criminal cases were initiated under Article 309.1 and Article 309, Part 2 of the RA Criminal Code.

 

6 criminal cases initiated against 12 people (2 criminal cases against 4 people under Article 309.1 of the RA Criminal Code, 4 criminal cases against 8 persons under Article 309, Part 2 of the RA Criminal Code) were sent with indictment to court.

 

For comparison, we need to note that in 2019, 5 criminal cases against 8 people, and in 2018 3 criminal cases against 4 people were sent to court with indictment on facts of illegally detained in different police departments, deprived of their de facto liberty, torture, other cruel, inhuman and degrading behavior, as well as other alleged human rights violations by police officers.

 

The quantitative increase is conditioned by the improvement of the detection rates of the mentioned crimes (including the crimes committed before) and the efficiency of the strict and consistent policy of the RA Prosecutor's Office in order to give such cases legal assessment through mandatory criminal procedure.

 

Notice: Every person suspected in or charged with a criminal offense shall be presumed innocent unless proved guilty in the manner prescribed by the RA Criminal Procedure Code and unless the verdict comes into legal force.