Head of the Armenian delegation to the CE Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) David Harutyunyan attaches importance to the report released by the CE Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. In his interview with RFE/LR he stated that the report, which contains the RA Government’s official answers, was released at the suggestion of the RA Ministry of Justice and RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In its report, the CE Committee expressed its concern over the torture inflicted on the persons arrested after the tragic events on March 1, 2008. The Committee calls for a public investigation of the events.

“In some cases, when certain events take place in countries, the Committee has the right to send a special mission group there. Such a visit was paid to Armenia after the March 1 events, and the Committee’s reports are, naturally, not always pleasing to read. Nonetheless, I think they are most important as a deterrent to both the Government and the public. That is, measures to put an end to this phenomenon must immediately be elaborated,” Harutyunyan said.

As regards his sharing the CE Committee’s concern, Harutyunyan said that he “not only share[s] it, but also think[s] the situation must be improved by means of legislative reforms.”

Speaking of the inadequate police actions on March 1-2, 2008, and the CE Committee’s statements on the investigation into the ten deaths, Harutyunyan said: “I think some work will be done irrespective of the report. But the issues raised by the experts of the CE Committee for the Prevention of Torture are important, and the Government should give consideration to them once more.”

T.P.