“I wonder how long the preliminary investigation might last”
18:33, August 23, 2014 | News, Own news | Right to Fair Trial
The preliminary investigation by the Special Investigation Service under the case on the police officers using violence against the protesters in Saryan Street on June 23 of this year is still in progress. At this stage, the SIS refrains from any case details.
On that day, a group of people held a protest against electricity price hike near the Office of the Public Services Regulatory Commission, followed by clashes as the police attacked and hit the protesters.
Lragir.am filed a written inquiry to the Special Investigation Service seeking to figure out how many police officers had been questioned under the criminal case so far after the clashes, i.e. within over 2 months, as well as what charges had been brought against them and the progress of the criminal investigation.
The SIS provided the answer below: “A preliminary investigation on the case is in progress at the Special Investigation Service, and this is all the information we can disclose at this stage of investigation for confidentiality reasons”.
Before, the Special Investigation Service claimed having instigated a criminal case on the clashes between the protesters and police officers in Saryan Street on June 23 of this year. The SIS launched criminal proceedings on the basis of the materials following the reports of a group of individuals under Article 309(2) of the RA Criminal Code.
Hence, the individuals reported that on June 23 of the current year, they had taken part in a protest at 22 Saryan Str. in Yerevan and claimed having incurred bodily injuries at the hand of the police officers on duty using violence against them.
The prepared case materials also suggested that some persons sought medical care at various medical institutions in Yerevan on that day and claimed having been injured during the protest in Saryan Street at the hand of the police officers on duty using violence.
Two days after the clashes, Gevorg Konstanyan, Prosecutor General, stated that the use of force and special measures by the police was stipulated by law; accordingly, the failure to do so might have caused problems for the police officer. He also stressed the need to consider potential acts of violence against the police.
Young activist Ara Karagyozyan was recognized as a victim (aggrieved party) under this case. Among others, he incurred bodily injuries at the hand of the police in Saryan Street on June 23 and later informed the journalists that the police officers had hit him on the head and the heart. The activist was taken to hospital for medical aid. Ara Karagyozyan informed Lragir.am that he was found victim (aggrieved party) under the case, but was still unaware of the identity of the police officers who used violence against him.
Mikayel Danielyan said he would be surprised if the police officers responsible for the violence were ever punished. “They say, the preliminary investigation is in progress; I wonder how long the preliminary investigation might last if everything is quite clear right now; the available shots show how it all happened, so what on earth do they investigate?” said the human rights defender to Lragir.am.
He further recalled similar acts of violence against protesters before when the guilty police officers went unpunished. He also mentioned disposing no information on whether or not the police responsible for the violence in Saryan Street on June 23 still held their offices today.
“The powers of those police officers should have been temporarily suspended during the preliminary examination. If it were so, we would believe the investigation was in progress. As for me, I think the police officers still occupy their offices. Had they been dismissed, the competent agencies would have immediately announced that they had suspended their powers for the purposes of investigation,” he said.
According to Mikayel Danielyan, on that day the police definitely used violence against the protesters in Saryan Street. “No doubt, the police abused their power on that day. They blatantly violated the law and must be punished to the full extent of the law”, he said.
As for the Prosecutor General’s statement to the effect that the use of force and special measures by the police was stipulated by law, the human rights activist reacted as follows: “If Kostanyan argues that all the measures applied are legal, what is then the use of prolonging the investigation? No doubt, Kostanyan has already helped them all to dodge responsibility. While the Prosecutor General talks about rule of law, their actions contradict their words; either the Prosecutor General or the investigative authorities are lying”.
Mikayel Danielyan also added that Gevorg Kostanyan should not have made any such statements while the investigation was still in progress.
This article was written under the HCA Vanadzor Project on Development of Control Mechanisms over the RA Special Investigation Service, the Prosecutor General’s Office and the National Security Service as a Guarantee for Prevention of Human Rights Violations in the Republic of Armenia.
This article was prepared by Rosa Hovhannisyan, journalist for Lragir.am.