Armenian Ombudsperson highlights violation of presumption of  innocence by law enforcement officers when detaining opposition  figures

ArmInfo.  Armenian Ombudsperson Anahit Manasyan has highlighted a violation of presumption of innocence by law enforcement officers when detaining opposition  figures.  As reported by the press service of the Armenian  Ombudsman's office, Manasyan reached this conclusion after monitoring  social networks and the media. "The monitoring revealed a concerning  trend in which law enforcement officers treat the guilt of suspects  as a fact without a judicial ruling, thus violating the principle of  presumption of innocence," her statement reads. In this regard,  Manasyan emphasized that law enforcement agencies must operate with  strict adherence to the principles of independence, impartiality and  objectivity.

"It is particularly concerning that public communications are carried  out by law enforcement agencies and their representatives, who, due  to their positions, are obliged not only to prove the guilt of  individuals, but also to conduct an independent, objective and  impartial investigation of the case. Additionally, in order to form  an appropriate public opinion regarding the fairness of the case's  handling, law enforcement agencies must also ensure adequate public  communications," the Ombudsperson clarified.

Manasyan also pointed out  that the wording regarding the alleged  crime and the guilt of the individual should not create a biased  perception of the committed act as a confirmed fact in the absence of  a judicial decision that has become legally binding.

In relation to the above, the human rights defender emphasized that  the tendency to violate the principle of the presumption of innocence  can undermine the entire justice process and urged for strict  adherence to this principle in any criminal proceedings, regardless  of the nature of the criminal act or the behavior of the suspect.