17 JULY MOVEMENT FOR THE DEFENSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN ARMENIA
From 17 July to 1st August 2016, there was a massive and peaceful popular uprising against the existing regime in Armenia and in support of an armed group of men (the “Daredevils of Sassoun”) who took a police compound to demand the resignation of the President Serzh Sargsyan and the release of political prisoners.
The police repressed in bloodshed the demonstrations and arrested the opposition political leaders. Human rights organizations report many cases of torture, ill-treatment, deprivation of medical care as well as of food, planting of evidence to bring weapons charges, secret detention without information to the families, etc. by the police.
Authorities also prevent lawyers to do their job and flout the rights of the defense, as shown in more details below.
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Within this context, the 17 July Movement, a Swiss association for the promotion and defense of Human rights in Armenia, wishes to draw the international community’s attention to the violation of the rights of the defense and of lawyers in Armenia.
The right to be assisted by a lawyer is one of the fundamental freedoms guaranteed by article 64 of the Armenian Constitution and by article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights, to which Armenia is a party.
The serious and repeated violations of fundamental rights and freedoms by the authorities must be subject to sanctions by the international community against the government in place.
Already on 20 July 2016, given the difficulties of lawyers to assist their clients arrested by the police, the Bar Association of Armenia called on the authorities to prevent any hindrance to lawyers’ activities and to ensure every citizen’s right to be defended.
Source: https://www.armenews.com/article.php3?id_article=129313 (in French)
That call has not been heeded by the authorities and the selected examples below show that, on the contrary, violations of the rights of the defense have become increasingly serious and standard.
Ø Human Rights Watch Reports
On many occasions, Human Rights Watch, a non-governmental human rights organization active in 90 countries including Armenia, has reported violations of the rights of the defense, including the difficulties caused to lawyers willing to meet their clients or even the pure and simple prohibition imposed on detained persons to access a lawyer of their choosing.
See https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/08/05/armenia-arbitrary-detentions-brutal-beatings (in English)
The following examples are drawn from reports issued by Human Rights Watch:
– Mr. Soso Markaryan – Lawyer Ara Zakharyan
Mr. Markaryan, 23, was arrested at his workplace by the police the day after a demonstration held in Yerevan on 20 July during which he was injured in the legs by a grenade fired by the police.
After his arrest, Mr. Markaryan was not allowed by the authorities to inform his family of his detention or request a lawyer of his choosing. Instead, the authorities assigned him a public defender, claiming that they needed to urgently conduct numerous procedural steps and did not have time to wait for his preferred lawyer to arrive.
It is only on 22 July that Mr. Markaryan’s family was able to locate him. On 23 July, Mr. Ara Zakharyan, the lawyer Markaryan’s family hired to represent him, asked the authorities to let him meet with Mr. Markaryan.
The lawyer was unable to see his client and was denied any visit until 26 July, more than 5 days after Mr. Markasyan was detained, on the pretext that it was the week-end or that the investigator was too busy (under Armenian law, the investigator must be present during the initial meeting between a detainee and his lawyer!).
Source: https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/08/05/armenia-arbitrary-detentions-brutal-beatings (in English)
– “Karen”
Karen, whose name was changed for security considerations, spent 3 nights in official custody. Despite his lawyer’s persistent efforts, no visit or contact was allowed for the entire period.
Detained on 29 July 2016, just before the police violently dispersed demonstrations, Karen managed to call his wife before the police confiscated his cell phone.
Karen’s lawyer was outside the temporary detention facility on 30 and 31 July. The lawyer repeatedly called investigators, requesting access to her client. Investigators first said that no investigators were available to go to the temporary detention facility for the meeting. Then investigators stopped responding to the lawyer’s calls.
The lawyer found out later that the investigator had compelled Karen to agree to accept a government-appointed lawyer.
Karen was released on 1 August.
Source: https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/08/05/armenia-arbitrary-detentions-brutal-beatings (in English)
– Mr. Yerishe Petrossyan
The lawyer of Mr. Yerishe Petrossyan, a well-known composer and musician, reported that police detained Mr. Petrossyan and dozens of others on 28 July 2016, at a protest in Yerevan.
Mr. Pretrossyan was kept for 10 hours, with armed police guarding him and the other detainees. Police provided no food and insufficient water and denied lawyers’ access to the detainees. Mr. Petrossyan was released in the early morning hours of 29 July.
Source: https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/08/05/armenia-arbitrary-detentions-brutal-beatings (in English)
– Mr. Armen Oganesyan
Mr. Oganesyan participated to a peaceful demonstration on 29 July 2016. He helped a journalist, namely Mr. Robert Ananyan of A1+ information agency, wounded from a stun grenade used by the police when they violently dispersed protesters. When he left the scene with the journalist, police caught him and beat him, which was corroborated by Mr. Ananyan.
Immediately arrested in spite of his injuries, Mr. Oganesyan did not have access to a lawyer of his choosing until 4 p.m. on 30 July 2016. He was released on 1 August for lack of evidence to support the charges.
Source: https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/08/05/armenia-arbitrary-detentions-brutal-beatings (in English)
Ø Civic Solidarity Platform
Civic Solidarity Platform, which includes the NGOs Protection of Right Without Borders, IPHR – International Partnership for Human Rights, the Helsinki Citizen’s Assembly – Vanadzor and the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims, also reports many testimonies about detainees not being able to communicate with the outside world, including the defense lawyers.
Sources:
https://civicsolidarity.org/sites/default/files/armenia_preliminary_findings_csp.pdf (in English)
https://civicsolidarity.org/article/1156/irct-concerned-about-ongoing-police-violence-armenia (in English)
https://civicsolidarity.org/article/1155/what-happened-armenia-csp-reports (in English)
Ø Lawyer Inessa Petrossian
Mrs. Petrossian, a lawyer of Yerevan, was appointed on 31 July 2016 to represent a man wounded by a police gunshot at the time of this arrest, namely Mr. Armen Lambarian.
The lawyer immediately informed the competent authorities and required, both orally and in writing, to see her client.
On 4 August 2016, the authorities had still not authorized Mrs. Petrossian to access her client.
Mrs. Petrossian was therefore prevented from assisting her client, even if he was wounded and a victim of ill-treatment in prison according to various testimonies.
Mrs. Petrossian organized a press conference to report the above. A summary of this press conference is available at the following links:
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1241587772531996&id=100000423566473 (in Armenian)
https://www.azatutyun.am/a/27902618.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook (in Armenian)
Ø Lawyer Lusine Hakobyan
Mrs. Hakobyan is a lawyer who represents two members of the Daredevils of Sassoun, Messrs. Gagik Yeghiazaryan and Aram Hakobian, who surrendered to the law-enforcement forces on 27 July 2016. The lawyer reports that they were both beaten and seriously injured when they surrendered.
Mrs. Hakobyan required that her clients be authorized to undergo medical examinations.
On 7 August 2016, Mr. Yeghiazaryan had still not been medically examined. Mr. Aram Hakobian had received a voucher for a forensic exam. However, the lawyer had not received any information in this respect.
As stated by Mrs. Hakobyan, the more time passes, the more difficult it will be to obtain an expertise about the injuries of her clients, which is essential for properly investigating the violence against them.
The Armenian press reported here the above: https://armtimes.com/hy/read/91102
Ø Lawyer Mushegh Shushanyan
The situation of justice in Armenia is perfectly illustrated by the answers given by the Armenian lawyer Mr. Musegh Shushanyan to a journalist asking about the functioning of tribunals: “your question would make sense if we were facing a tribunal, i.e. a court that applies the law and dispenses justice. Instead we are facing a sightless and docile instrument of the regime. The police investigator requested the court to remand [my clients] to pretrial detention [but] there was no evidence in the file that the guys bought or transported weapons or that they did so as a group. Nor did the file contain any evidence in relation to a hostage taking under the menace of a firearm of the 3 paramedics. The paramedics did not even mention it in their statement. The police investigator did not bring any evidence in relation to the primary charge although this is the most important element when you decide to imprison someone.” (free translation)
Source: https://hetq.am/arm/news/69751/yst-pastabani-qnnichnern-u-datavornery-haytnvel-ein-khxtchuk-vitchakum.html/ (in Armenian)
Ø Lawyer Robert Revazyan
Mr. Robert Revazyan acts as an advocate for one of the members of the opposition arrested during a demonstration of support to the Daredevils of Sassoun. He is also part of a group of civilian observers. He testifies that when he tried to come to the prison, he was prevented from doing so by “a police inspector who had decided to prohibit any visit to the detainees from their relatives and from observers”.
In his entire career, Mr. Revazyan had never experienced such prohibition.
He explains that the decision of the police inspector is against Armenian law, which grants groups of civilian observers unlimited access to detainees.
During the last decade, the group of civilian observers to which Mr. Revazyan belongs had never faced a similar situation.
The conclusion of Mr. Revazyan is that only political reasons led to this situation. (free translation)
Source: https://www.azatutyun.am/a/27900648.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook (in Armenian)
Ø Lawyer Arayik Papikian
This lawyer, who represents one of the members of the Daredevils of Sassoun, namely Mr. Araik Khandoyan, was also prevented by the police to meet his client in custody in Vagharshapat, some 20km from Yerevan.
When the lawyer, Mr. Papikian, showed up, the police did not even allow him to approach the building where his client was detained. Mr. Papikian had to wait for 20 minutes under the rain.
Once the police let him approach the detention facility, the lawyer had to wait another couple of hours but the police did not authorize him to see his client anyway. That day, Mr. Papikian was unable to meet his client at all.
The lawyer filed a complaint, which is currently being examined. However, no tribunal will be able to make good the damage suffered by Mr. Papikian’s client.
What is the worst in this matter is not only the fact that a lawyer was prevented from performing his duties. The worst in this matter is the inhuman behavior of the authorities and the harm done to the victims deprived of their most fundamental right to a proper defense.
Source: https://www.azatutyun.am/a/27900648.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook (in Armenian)
Ø Lawyer Ani Torossian
Mrs. Ani Torossian is the lawyer of Mr. Haroutjun Torossian, accused of perpetrating violence against a representative of the State together with 6 other citizens in clashes between the police and residents of Sari Tagh, the neighborhood where the police compound took by the Daredevils of Sassoun is located.
Mr. Haroutjun Torossian was placed in pretrial detention. His lawyer requested his release.
The court ruled on this request during a hearing where neither the lawyer nor the accused were present!
“I filed a request for release and the court denied it during one single hearing held in the absence of the accused and his lawyer. They said that they would send us their decision. We have been deprived from our right to a hearing. We have been deprived from our right to present our arguments to the court.” (free translation)
Furthermore, the court closed the preliminary inquiry and de facto granted only one single day to the lawyer to present her arguments and her requests.
It is worth noting that, according to his lawyer, Mr. Torossian was shown to all the policemen who claimed to be victims of violence and that none of them saw him on the scene. For the Chairman of the NGO Helsinki Committee of Armenia, Mr. Avetik Ishkhanyan, that this is all about frightening citizens so that they will not dare to stand against the power. (free translation)
Source: https://www.azatutyun.am/a/27919563.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook (in Armenian)
Ø Mr. David Grigorian
Mr. David Grigorian, co-founder of the think tank “Policy Forum Armenia”, also reported that visits by defense lawyers have been banned in many cases.
The article of Mr. David Grigorian is available in English at: https://www.atlanticcouncil.org
/blogs/new-atlanticist/ruling-by-fear-armenia-s-descent-into-dictatorship-and-the-rise-of-resistance
17 JULY MOVEMENT
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About 17 July Movement
17 July Movement is an association governed by Swiss law whose purpose includes the promotion and defense of Human rights, the building of a democratic regime governed by the rule of law and the information of the international community about the violation of Human rights in Armenia