Self-confession evidence extorted under the threat of sending her baby to children’s home and her to female prison
16:45, June 9, 2016 | News, Own news | Right to be free from torture and inhuman or degrading treatment | Police, Special Investigation Service
A citizen who consulted Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor stated that on August 2, 2015, “4 staff members of Police Department 6” broke into their apartment and by producing only their service certificates, apprehended her and her husband without any grounds to ‘Erebuni’ Police Division, kept them there in separate rooms and exerted violence against them.
In her application submitted to Yerevan Office of the Organization, T. M. mentioned that she had heard her husband being beaten and later saw that his face was damaged.
According to T. M., at the investigation department, the investigator, without clarifying her rights, forced her under the threat of detention and of sending her 10-day-old baby to the children’s home to write testimonies as if her husband and she had plotted the attempted murder of a person named S. V. After that, she was released, and her husband was detained.
Later on, T. M. was summoned to the RA Investigative Committee where they sought to question her again before the public defender. When she refused to testify by stating that they had not committed the crime, the investigator threatened to move her to the female prison by printing out a decision on detention. Then, under the threat of sending her baby to the children’s home and under psychological pressure, T. M. gave self-confession testimonies. Later, during confrontation of witnesses, she again denied her husband’s and her involvement in the crime.
Based on the citizen’s application, HCA-Vanadzor filed a crime report with the RA Special Investigation Service.
According to the letters received from the RA SIS on June 8, 2016, the crime report was submitted to the RA Investigative Committee and the Internal Security Department of the RA Police.