On 9 May 2009 the Arthur Badalyan went with a group of friends to the village of Navur near the town of Berd, close to the border to Azerbaijan, to pick mushrooms in the forest. He disappeared and was captured by Azerbaijani forces. His relatives contacted Armenian authorities, after which he was registered as a missing person in Armenia and a search for him was made in the relevant area. However, his whereabouts remained unknown to his family and the Armenian authorities until, in November 2010, a registration of Armenian captives was held in Azerbaijan with the arrangement of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Badalyan was registered by the ICRC on 5 November 2010 and was thereafter regularly visited in detention until 17 March 2011 when he was released to the Armenian authorities through the mediation of the ICRC as part of an exchange of captives.
Badalyan claims that he was held captive for 22 months in a closed cell. He was not given enough food and often he was not allowed to go to the toilet, thus having to care for his needs in the cell. Moreover, he was subjected to harsh torture and mental anguish, as he was deemed to be a military prisoner, and was regularly harassed to divulge information. He was often beaten on his legs, so that he could not feel or move them. Electric wires were frequently attached to his fingers and the power switched on, causing severe pains. His cell door was hit with metallic objects, as a result of which he now suffers from a hearing disorder.
Immediately following his release, Badalyan was hospitalised and examined in Armenia. The medical examination revealed that he was depressed, frightened and tense and that he had pain in his arms and legs. He was diagnosed with a serious neuropsychological disorder, including schizophrenia of a paranoid type.
Thus on August 8, 2011 the lawyer of CSL HR ENGO Edmon Marukyan after exhausting all domestic remedies resented the case to the ECtHR stating that Badalyan was subjected to physical and mental torture and ill-treatment during his detention, in violation of Article 3 of the Convention.
The case was communicated on November 10, 2015 and questions were sent to the Government of the RA.
https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng#{%22docname%22:[%22Badalyan%20v%20Azerbaijan%22],%22documentcollectionid2%22:[%22COMMUNICATEDCASES%22],%22itemid%22:[%22001-159138%22]}
Author: Tatev Matinyan
Application of Yengibaryan v Armenia is communicated
On 14 June 2011 Arman Yengibaryan was shot and killed by two police officers in Yerevan.
According to the body of inquiry, at approximately 1.05 p.m. on 14 June 2011 Arman Yengibaryan presented himself as an employee of the water supply company and tried fraudulently to enter the apartment of a private person, G.S., with the purpose of taking the latter’s property by committing robbery. However, Arman Yengibaryan was unable to complete the crime since G.S. did not open the door to the apartment and called the police. Two officers of the Arabkir Department of the Yerevan Police, A.A. and N.P., arrived at the scene and approached the person indicated by G.S.
Officers A.A. and N.P. were not in uniform. However, according to their statements, they presented themselves to Arman Yengibaryan as officers of the Arabkir Police Department, showed their identification badges and asked him to go with them to the police station in order to provide some clarifications.
The police officers accompanied Arman Yegibaryan to their car, holding him by his arms. On reaching the car, Arman Yengibaryan refused to get inside, resisted the police officers and freed his hands. He then took out a gun, loaded it, pointed it at the officers and threatened to fire, after which he escaped.
At that moment the officers loaded their guns. A.A. warned that he would shoot, fired two warning shots in the air and, together with N.P., chased Arman Yengibaryan.
According to the statements of the police officers, Arman Yengibaryan turned while running and fired a shot in their direction. Immediately after that A.A. fired in response.
The police officers called the emergency services right away. However, nobody tried to provide first aid to Arman Yengibaryan and his body lay on the ground bleeding until the ambulance arrived at the scene and transferred him to hospital where he died shortly after the beginning of surgery. He never regained consciousness.
On 14 June 2011 an investigation was started on account of attempted robbery and inflicting violence dangerous for life or limb on a public official.
On 18 June 2011 it was reported in the media that the Chief of Police had confirmed in an interview the day before that on the day of the shooting Arman Yengibaryan had been armed with a gas pistol. He had stated that before Arman Yengibaryan was disarmed by the police officers he had fired in their direction four times and that it was not until after he had been disarmed that it was discovered that his gun was pneumatic. He had further stated that he did not blame the policeman, since the latter had acted lawfully.
On 23 June 2011 the Chief of Police gave an interview to the media and stated that he had no doubts that Arman Yengibaryan had been involved in several counts of robbery. He further stated that a number of victims had already identified the criminal and that it was, therefore, to be ruled out that the policeman could have shot the wrong person. According to the media, the Chief of Police had then stated that he felt relieved to know that the criminal who had terrorised the whole city had been disarmed and that in his personal view, as the head of police, everything had been done in a lawful manner and there had been nothing illegal in the actions of the policeman.
According to another article published in the media on the same day, the Chief of Police had also stated during his interview that, in a situation where someone fires at you, it is hard to aim and shoot at the fingers, no one is protected from that and this cannot be required of a policeman. He had finally stated that he would await the completion of the investigation and would accordingly reward the policeman if it were found that the latter had acted lawfully.
The father and the wife of Armen Yengibaryan applied to the Chief of the Special Investigative Service with a request to involve in the proceedings as Arman Yengibaryan’s legal heir and representatives of the victim’s legal heir. But Arman Yengibaryan’s relatives were not allowed to participate in the proceedings, were not provided with the decision to terminate the criminal proceedings and in general had no access to the case file thus the investigation into his death had not been effective.
Thus on December 10, 2011 the lawyer of CSL HR ENGO Edmon Marukyan after exhausting all domestic remedies resented the case to the ECtHR raising the following complains:
The applicants complain under Article 2 of the Convention that the killing of Arman Yengibaryan by the police constituted a violation of Article 2 of the Convention in that it was not absolutely necessary within the meaning of this provision. They further complain under the same Article that the authorities failed to conduct an adequate and effective investigation into his death.
The applicants complain under Article 6 § 2 of the Convention that the public statements of the Chief of Police constituted a breach of the principle of presumption of innocence in his respect.
The applicants lastly complain under Article 13 of the Convention that they had no effective domestic remedy because the investigative bodies and the courts refused to recognize Arman Yengibaryan’s status as a victim, which deprived them of the possibility of exercising their rights as his legal heirs in the proceedings. They further complain that the courts did not in any way address the second applicant’s request to be involved in the proceedings.
The case was communicated on September 1, 2015 and questions were sent to the Government of the RA.
https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng#{%22appno%22:[%222186/12%22],%22documentcollectionid2%22:[%22COMMUNICATEDCASES%22],%22itemid%22:[%22001-157439%22]}
ՌԴԿ խորհրդի անդամը ելույթ է ունեցել ռազմավարական դատավարություններ թեմայով սեմինարի ժամանակ, որը Ղրղզստանից Եվրոպայի Խորհուրդ ուսումնական այցի մաս էր կազմում
2015թվականի հուլիսի 10-ին Տաթևիկ Մատինյանը որպես Վենետիկի հանձնաժողովի փորձագետ մասնակցել է Եվրոպայի Խորհուրդի կողմից կազմակերպված միջոցառմանը և կիսելով իր փորձը մասնակիցների հետ ներկայացրել է շնորհանդես, ինչպես նաև պատասխանել է մասնակիցների հարցերին: Միջոցառումը կազմակերպված էր Ղրղզստանից Ստրասբուրգ ժամանած հասարակական կազմակերպությունների և ԶԼՄ ներկայացուցիչների համար: Սեմինարի վերնագիրն էր ռազմավարական դատավարությունները, այն տեղի է ունեցել 2015թ. հուլիսի 8-10-ը Ստրասբուրգում, Ֆրանսիա:
Սեմինարը ընթացքում Տաթևիկ Մատինյանը ներկայացրեց ռազմավարական դատավարությունների պլանավորման և իրականացման տեսությունը, որը ուղեկցվում էր ՌԴԿ փորձագետների կողմից իրականացված դատավարությունների և գործերի ներկայացմամբ: Շնորհանդեսին հետևող հարց ու պատասխանի ժամանակ նա նաև կիսվեց իր մասնագիտական հմտությւոններով ու փորձով առ այն, թե ինչպես ռազմավարական դատավարությունները դարձնել մարդու իրավունքների պաշտպանության արդյունավետ գործիք:
Վենետիկի հանձնաժողովի կեղմից տարածված մամլո հաղորդագրության համաձայն, Ղրղզստանի հասարակական, ակադմեիկ ու տեղեկատվական ոլորտների ներկայացուցիչները այս դասընթացի միջոցով հնարավորություն ստացալ ուսումնասիրել եվրոպական մի շարք երկրների ռազմավարական դատավարություններ իրականացնելու փորձը, ինչպես նաև Վենետիկի հանձնաժողովի փորձագիտական կարծիքներ գրելու գործառույթին:
Այցի շրջանակներում, մասնակիցները այցելեցին Եվրոպայի Խորհուրդ և Մարդու իրավունքների եվրոպական դատարան, ինչը նպաստում է, որպեսի մասնակիցներն առավել ուշի ոււշով հետևեն Վենետիկի հանձնաժողովի, Պառլամենտական ասամբլեայի, ՄԻԵԴ դատավորների և ԵԽ գործունեությանը:
The board member of CSL NGO held a presentation during seminar on Strategic Litigation – study visit to the Council of Europe from the Kyrgyz Republic
On July 10, 2015 Tatevik Matinyan acting as a Venice Commission expert at the meeting of the Council of Europe and shared her expertise (holding a presentation and acting as a panelist) in strategic litigation for the benefit of a group of NGO representatives from Kyrgyzstan traveled to Strasbourg, France, for a seminar on the topic of Strategic Litigations between 8 and 11 July 2015, organised by the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe.
She presented the theory of planning and conducting strategic litigations supported by cases implemented by the experts of CSL. The presentation was followed by question/answer penal where Mrs. Matinyan also shared with the professional experience and advice on how to make strategic litigations a very effective tool for human rights organizations.
In accordance with the press release made by the Venice Commission representatives of NGOs, academia and journalists of the Kyrgyz Republic learned about the experience from several European countries on strategic litigation as well as about the Venice Commission’s practice of amicus curiae briefs. Strategic litigation is bringing carefully-selected public interest cases – often human rights cases – to a court on behalf of an individual, where the goal is to promote the interests of a wider group.
This seminar was a part of a study visit to the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights, which enabled the participants to follow closely the work of the Venice Commission, the Parliamentary Assembly, judges and lawyers of the ECtHR and other parts of the Council of Europe.
These events were organised jointly with the UNDP office in Bishkek in the framework of the project “Support to the Kyrgyz authorities in improving the quality and efficiency of the Kyrgyz Constitutional justice system” with funding provided by the European Union.
Human Rights Watch. World Report 2015
In the 644-page World Report 2015, its 25th edition, Human Rights Watch reviews human rights practices in more than 90 countries. Report on Armenia reads: “Armenia’s human rights record remained uneven in 2014. Authorities continued to interfere with peaceful protests. Torture and ill-treatment in custody remained a problem, and investigations are ineffective, even when opened. Journalists continued to face pressure and violence. Although changes to alternative service to compulsory military service garnered praise, serious abuses in the army persist. Local groups documented forced psychiatric hospitalization. Violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity are serious problems. The government has yet to lift unnecessary restrictions on access to pain medications for people with terminal illnesses.