Armenian Ombudsman: Investigation of torture and ill-treatment in  Armenia falls short of international standards

ArmInfo. In Armenia, the process of investigating torture and other forms of ill-treatment does not  meet international standards, especially in terms of the timeliness of investigation.  Human Rights Defender Anahit Manasyan stated this during the extraordinary sitting of the NA standing  committee on  Protection of  Human Rights and Public Affairs, dedicated to discussing Armenian Ombudsman's 2024 report.

Referring to the insufficient coverage of the case of citizen Samvel  Vardanyan in the report (the proceedings between the citizen and  former deputy of the ruling Civil Contract party Hakob Aslanyan -  ed.), Manasyan noted that this is due to the fact that the department  does not differentiate between cases of ordinary citizens and those  involving officials. The Ombudsman of Armenia believes that  it is  important to provide equal coverage of these cases in reports, but  disagreed with the opinion that the report does not sufficiently  address this situation. Although, as a rule, public defenders in  civilized countries closely monitor incidents involving people in  power, as elected representatives have greater responsibility and  accountability to society.

The Ombudsman of Armenia, empowered to protect the rights of  citizens, did not assess the conduct of the patrol officers who,  using brute force, pulled a citizen out of his car, placed him on the  asphalt, handcuffed him, while violating all the rules of conduct for  a law enforcement officer in such cases. Manasyan only emphasized  that the Ombudsman's Office is not an investigative committee or a  judicial body to somehow stop such cases, although they are not  uncommon. "All these cases are of concern to us, since the use of  force is usually disproportionate. That is why, in addition to the  annual report, relevant materials are sent to the Investigative  Committee on all these cases, and we call on other competent bodies  to conduct a thorough investigation," she added.

The Chief Human Rights Defender of Armenia also acknowledged that few  people are held accountable for such cases, which, according to her,  may indicate various problems in the system, She assured that this  remains a matter of constant concern for the human rights defender.  Speaking about the content of the report, the Ombudsman of Armenia  clarified that the absence of names in it is due to compliance with  international standards. Nevertheless, she is confident that the  description of the cases is written in such a way that even without  specifying names, it becomes clear what situations are being  discussed.

Taguhi Tovmasyan, an independent member of the Armenian Parliament,  responded to her statements, pointing out that respected  international organizations such as Freedom House and Human Rights  Watch do not avoid mentioning specific names. Touching upon deaths in  the army, for example, due to health reasons, in addition to deaths  during military operations, Manasyan noted that the office of the  Human Rights Protection and Human Rights does not consider such cases  to be normal.  Manasyan also noted that in Armenia there is no  mechanism to ensure accountability for taking someone's life, which  means that persons who have shown acted cruelly in the army or caused  a soldier's death do not bear due responsibility for the acts  committed. Touching upon the lack of detailed coverage of cases of  the use of force against prisoners of the Nubarashen Penitentiary  Institution (PII), the Ombudsman of Armenia noted that the report  only included what could be shared with the public. She acknowledged  that some prisoners had injuries  and were provided with medical  assistance. Additionally, she again assured that this issue is also  an issue for the Ombudsman's office they have filed an appeal  to the  Prosecutor General's Office.