COUNCIL OF EUROPE ANTI-TORTURE COMMITTEE VISITS ARMENIA
Support A1+!A delegation of the Council of Europe Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) recently carried out a three-day visit to Armenia. The main purpose of the visit, which began on 20 April 2004, was to collect information concerning the treatment of persons deprived of their liberty in the course of or following the recent demonstrations in Yerevan.
The delegation interviewed numerous persons who had been deprived of their liberty in connection with the above-mentioned demonstrations. Most of these persons had been released by the time they were interviewed. The others were interviewed by the delegation at Kentron penitentiary establishment and at Temporary detention centre of the Yerevan Department of Internal Affairs. The CPT's delegation consisted of Eric Svanidze, a Georgian lawyer, Marija Definis Gojanovic, a Croatian forensic doctor, and Borys Wodz of the Committee's Secretariat.
In the course of its visit, the CPT's delegation held discussions with Davit Harutyunyan, Minister of Justice, Hayk A. Harutyunyan, Head of the Armenian Police, and Aghvan Hovsepyan, General Prosecutor.
