Counselor Liparit Simonyan, a member of the Bar Association of the Republic of Armenia, informed www.aravot.am that the Sukhdyan vs. Armenia case sent to the European Court of Human Rights 6 months ago had been given a number. The representative of the petitioner informed that on February 2, 2009, the Erebuni investigation department of the police opened a criminal case and on August 8, environmentalist Mariam Sukhudyan was charged with the False Accusation Article of the Criminal Code. The latter didn’t plead guilty.
In the petition to the European Court, the counselor of the petitioner informs also that Alik Sargsyan, the former Chief of Police of the Republic of Armenia, talking about the accusations of the petitioner on August 21, 2009, said the following, “She has made a groundless accusation, slandered innocent people and instigated minors to commit misdemeanors.” It was about the statements on revealed cases of pedophilia at the special school of Nubarashen.
And Sayat Shirinyan, the former officer of the police responsible for the information department, told Taregir newspaper the following, “You will hear the counterargument in the court. We have made an explanation, the preliminary investigation body has given us quite a lot of information, on what grounds should we cease prosecution now?” And when he had found out that human rights organizations and NGOs had demanded to cease the prosecution, S. Shirinyan said, “It doesn’t matter who they are, if it is human rights advocacy or, I don’t know, if they don’t have any proof on hand, there are neither explanations, nor testimonies, what are their grounds to demand that police cease the prosecution? We are in equal positions now – both you and me. You mention some names in the same manner – international, I don’t know what, if they don’t have proofs on hand, what are we going to talk about…? Human rights violation – excuse me, but if Sukhudyan makes false accusations, doesn’t it violate human rights of those people? You are putting the law-enforcement system under pressure.”
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The former press officer of the police went as far as to accuse the activist of crime.
According to the petitioner, the Chief of Police of the Republic of Armenia, his press officer and the Police of the Republic of Armenia, represented by them, have violated her
presumption of innocence, as well as the right of the petitioner provided for by Article 6, Section 2 of the European Convention.
The petitioner has asked the European Court to review the decision of the Armenian lower courts as violating the presumption of innocence, compensate moral damages in the amount of 1 million AMD. So, according to the petitioner, the legitimate compensation will be made for violating her rights. “I convincingly and consciously state that information in the given petition is accurate,” the petitioner concluded.
Ruzan MINASYAN
