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Today, on March 17, the European Court of Human Rights made a judgment on Zalyan and others v Republic of Armenia and recognized violations of the rights under Article 3 (Prohibition of torture) and Article 5 (Liberty and security of person) of the ECtHR.

According to the ECtHR ruling, the RA Government shall pay a total of 50,000 EUR as moral (non-pecuniary damage) compensation, of which 20,000 EUR to Arayik Zalyan, and 15,000 EUR to Razmik Sargsyan and Moussa Serobyan, each.

Note that back on April 19, 2004, Arayik Zalyan, Moussa Serobyan and Razmik Sargsyan, conscript servicemen at Mataghis military unit in NKR, were invited to the commander’s office for questioning on 2 servicemen killed in December of 2003. At first, they were questioned as witnesses and then the military commanders attempted to violently force them to admit the guilt.

Unlike A. Zalyan and Moussa Serobyan, Razmik Sargsyan admitted under pressure his guilt and that of his 2 fellow servicemen.

In May 2005, Arayik Zalyan, Moussa Serobyan and Razmik Sargsyan were convicted first to 15 years and then to life imprisonment and were held in confinement for 3 years.

On December 18, 2012, they were acquitted.

By their application to the ECtHR, applicants Arayik Zalyan, Moussa Serobyan and Razmik Sargsyan required to recognize violation of the rights under Article 3 (Prohibition of torture) and Article 5 (Liberty and security of person) of the European Convention on Human Rights.