TORTURERS REMAIN UNPUNISHED
Support A1+!Statistics reveals that RA citizens are more often tortured and beaten by the police, Avetik Ishkhanian, the Chairman of the Helsinki Committee of Armenia says.
Ishkhanian distinguishes between two types of tortures. Police stations torment people to extort testimony while prisons resort to torture as punishment. “Two years ago over 60 prisoners we surveyed complained of abuse and violation in police departments.
According to RA Ombudsman Armen Harutiunian the level of tortures in Armenia hardly differs from that of other countries. “It has neither increased nor decreased in comparison with the previous year data,” Harutiunian told A1+.
In reply to our question what measures NGOs take to combat the phenomenon, Avetik Ishkhanian said, “Observation missions contribute to the combat to some extent. In case we observe any cases we inform the Justice Ministry and then protocol them. But observation missions are not entitled to employ other mechanisms.”
Arthur Sakunts, the Director of the Vanadzor-based Helsinki Office, surveyed the Vanadzor orphanage and RA Psychiatric hospitals.
Obviously, people undergo tortures in both institutions, he says.
