ArmInfo. All persons detained and arrested in Armenia will have to undergo a medical examination. The RA National Assembly Committee on Defense and Security at its session on March 20 issued a positive conclusion on the amendments to the law "On the detention of detainees and arrested persons" submitted by the government in the first reading.
As Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Armen Ghazaryan noted in his speech, the initiative is based on the requirements of the UN Committee for the Prevention of Torture and the cases against Armenia issued by the European Court of Human Rights. The draft law stipulates that in all cases, upon delivery of detainees and arrested persons to places of detention, they will undergo a medical examination, and not upon recording of the injuries received, as is currently the case. Detainees must undergo a medical examination within three hours of their delivery to penal institutions, and arrested persons - no later than 24 hours. At the same time, detainees and arrested persons will be able to involve their preferred doctor in the examination. Currently, this task is provided to emergency doctors, and this opportunity will remain. Ghazaryan noted that the UN Committee for the Prevention of Torture assessed the involvement of emergency doctors as a positive practice. Thus, as the Deputy Minister emphasized, a single standard of detention will be applied to detainees and arrested persons and will become an additional guarantee for the prevention of torture.
The document also establishes cases in which a doctor must draw up protocols on the use of torture. This may happen if there is an appeal from a detainee or arrested person, as well as cases of violence identified by doctors, as well as appeals from employees of penal institutions. The forms and types of protocols will be approved based on the order of the Minister of Health. After their development and approval, the country's investigative bodies must be notified of this within no more than 24 hours. Notifications can be submitted electronically.