Armenian Ombudsman concerned of violence in prisons

Ombudsman Armen Arutyunyan plans to launch a detailed study of the cases of violence and torture, registered in Criminal-Corrective Establishments (CCEs) of Armenia.

Mr Arutyunyan has explained that torture is applied not only to oppositional activists but also to prisoners in general. Earlier, the Ombudsman confirmed with reference to operative data of his employees the facts of application of torture against activists of the opposition.

Armen Arutyunyan has already addressed his letter to Mr Mirzoyan, head of the Special Investigatory Service, notifying that on January 9 employees of Ombudsman's office visited the CCE "Nubarashen", where they had a meeting with Vardkes Gaspari. The latter told them that in the morning on December 23 about a dozen of persons in camouflage rushed into his cell with the aim to hold a search of forbidden articles; they searched all the inmates who were in the cell.

The Ombudsman notes in his letter with reference to Gaspari's story that after the search a man in military uniform came up to Gaspari, fetched a slap across his face, "and then applied actions humiliating his honour and dignity. Under the statement of Vardkes Gaspari, he can recognize the person."

On December 23, four defendants on the case about the events on March 1 - Grigor Voskerchyan, Gevork Manukyan, Armen Khurshudyan and Vardkes Gaspari - were beaten by unknown persons in masks and camouflage who rushed into their cells.

Ombudsman Armen Arutyunyan has condemned violation against the four defendants in the case about the events on March 1. The Ombudsman addressed the Minister of Justice with an offer to hold a service investigation and punish those guilty.

The open letter dated January 14 and addressed to John Prescott and George Colombier, co-rapporteurs of the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe written by 43 political prisoners is notifying the co-rapporteurs that on the eve of their visit to Yerevan "petitions on pardon were knocked out by terrible torture of nine more activists of the opposition."