"INVESTIGATORS PRESSURE EYEWITNESSES"
http://www.a1plus.am/en/social/2011/10/18/witnesses
05:12 pm | Today | Social
Lawyers suggest making deals with the culprits by releasing them in
exchange of receiving important information.
"This means that a person wants to give an important testimony, but
is guilty for another act and wants compensation in exchange of his
testimony that may serve as a basis for liquidating the fight against
huge crimes," lawyer Ara Ghazaryan told "A1+".
He thinks sometimes certain prisoners can be released to catch
"bigger fishes" and create an efficient system to fight against
organized crime based on that principle.
The Helsinki Civil Assembly Vanadzor Office conducted a study on the
protection of eyewitnesses' rights with support from the OSCE and
released the results of that study today.
"The issue of eyewitnesses' protection is seriously troubling,"
the researchers concluded.
Head of Helsinki Civil Assembly Vanadzor Office's legal division Tatev
Matinyan mentioned that the researchers had monitored 17 investigative
bodies in Lori, Tavush and Shirak provinces.
"No monitored investigative division had a separate room for
interrogation. The eyewitnesses are interrogated in the investigators'
offices," Tatev Matinyan mentioned.
Public monitoring groups have no permission to enter those rooms and
can't control them.
The investigative departments also don't have waiting rooms, which
is a mandatory condition by law. "Eyewitnesses wait for hours in the
investigators' offices and agree with them on what testimonies that
they have to give," the lawyer mentioned.
The lawyers certify that eyewitnesses are subject to violence in
the investigators' offices as well. According to the lawyers, what
is troubling is the fact that the tortured person raises his voice
about the violence that has been committed, but then denies it.
"Eyewitnesses are called to the prosecutor's office and are subject
to violence, imposed to deny their previous testimonies and not to
complain anymore," lawyer Tatev Matinyan says.
http://www.a1plus.am/en/social/2011/10/18/witnesses
05:12 pm | Today | Social
Lawyers suggest making deals with the culprits by releasing them in
exchange of receiving important information.
"This means that a person wants to give an important testimony, but
is guilty for another act and wants compensation in exchange of his
testimony that may serve as a basis for liquidating the fight against
huge crimes," lawyer Ara Ghazaryan told "A1+".
He thinks sometimes certain prisoners can be released to catch
"bigger fishes" and create an efficient system to fight against
organized crime based on that principle.
The Helsinki Civil Assembly Vanadzor Office conducted a study on the
protection of eyewitnesses' rights with support from the OSCE and
released the results of that study today.
"The issue of eyewitnesses' protection is seriously troubling,"
the researchers concluded.
Head of Helsinki Civil Assembly Vanadzor Office's legal division Tatev
Matinyan mentioned that the researchers had monitored 17 investigative
bodies in Lori, Tavush and Shirak provinces.
"No monitored investigative division had a separate room for
interrogation. The eyewitnesses are interrogated in the investigators'
offices," Tatev Matinyan mentioned.
Public monitoring groups have no permission to enter those rooms and
can't control them.
The investigative departments also don't have waiting rooms, which
is a mandatory condition by law. "Eyewitnesses wait for hours in the
investigators' offices and agree with them on what testimonies that
they have to give," the lawyer mentioned.
The lawyers certify that eyewitnesses are subject to violence in
the investigators' offices as well. According to the lawyers, what
is troubling is the fact that the tortured person raises his voice
about the violence that has been committed, but then denies it.
"Eyewitnesses are called to the prosecutor's office and are subject
to violence, imposed to deny their previous testimonies and not to
complain anymore," lawyer Tatev Matinyan says.