RA Ministry of Justice Responsible for Safety of Detainees
00:30, October 3, 2015 | News, Own news | Right to be free from torture and inhuman or degrading treatment, Right to liberty and security | Detention FacilitiesUpon tracking an alert, the HCA Vanadzor found that a RA MoJ (Ministry of Justice) Vanadzor Penitentiary officer continuingly exerted pressure on convict K. S. and accordingly threatened him to “fabricate a case against him.” Previously, the officer in question repeatedly urged K. S. to give false testimonies and admit the charges brought against him and tried to illegally seize some funds from him under alleged “administrative penalties”. According to the convict, the penitentiary officer’s behavior was caused by his ambition for an advanced position. Based on the data obtained, the Public Observation Group responsible for Monitoring at the RA MoJ Penitentiary Agencies and Facilities applied to the RA Ministry of Justice to transfer convicted K. S. to another penitentiary facilities to prevent potential pressures against him. Despite the substantial concerns of the Observation Group, the RA Ministry of Justice failed to take any actions to ensure the safety of the convict. Logically enough, as a result, the convict withdrew his complaint (by announcing about his decision at his meeting with attorney A. Sukiasyan). The facts above suggest that the convict withdrew his complaint under pressure. Also, it is noteworthy that based on the evidence obtained, the HCA Vanadzor filed earlier a crime report to the RA Special Investigation Service, which has taken no steps so far. In fact, the RA Ministry of Justice and RA MoJ Vanadzor Penitentiary administration and staff both infringe convicts’ rights and make them give up any attempts to protect their rights. Given the vulnerability of the convicts, the non-urgent response of the SIS is also an issue of concern. The HCA Vanadzor is deeply concerned about the situation since the convict still stays in a dangerous environment, and the RA Ministry of Justice is directly responsible for his safety.