Time to work towards ending torture

While welcoming Armenia's willingness to acknowledge problems during this transitional phase in the country's history, Amnesty Internationalstrongly urges the government to set about improving its human rightsrecord and implement fully and promptly the Committee's recommendations.

Amnesty International detailed a number of concerns about torture inArmenia in a submission to the UN Committee. These included persistentallegations that law enforcement officials have subjected people to tortureand ill-treatment as a tool for obtaining confessions and coercingtestimony, or for intimidation and extortion. The organization hasreceived reports that some detainees have died as a result of torture. Inmany cases the authorities have been reluctant to conduct prompt andcomprehensive investigations, or to initiate proceedings against thosealleged to be responsible.

The Committee recommends that detained persons should be guaranteedimmediate access to their lawyer, to family members and to a doctor oftheir choice and that Armenia establish an effective and genuinelyindependent system of inspection of all places of detention run by theMinistries of Interior, Justice and Defence.

There have also been reports of army conscripts being subjected tobrutal hazing (being forced to perform degrading tasks) which have lead tobeatings and suicides, while officers turn a blind eye. The Committeerecommends that Armenia carry out, without delay, independentinvestigations into allegations of hazing in the army (and instituteproceedings when such allegations are upheld).

The Committee also recommends Armenia adopt a domestic legaldefinition of torture strictly in line with that set out in Article 1 ofthe UN Convention against Torture. It welcomes the willingness of thegovernment to establish the Office of an Ombudsperson.

Death sentences continue to be meted out, despite a moratorium onactual executions, with over 30 men currently on death row. The Committeewelcomes the moratorium on executions and recommends that Armenia adopt assoon as possible the draft criminal code which abolishes the death penalty,as a way of resolving the situation of those currently on death row. Itnotes that the uncertain situation in which these condemned prisoners areplaced appears to amount to cruel and inhuman treatment.

In addition the Committee notes that Armenia had not informed theCommittee, as requested in the last round of observations, about theresults of any investigations into the allegations of ill-treatment whichhad been brought to the attention of the Committee by AmnestyInternational, among others.

For further information on Amnesty International's concerns please see thedocument Armenia: Comments on the Initial Report submitted to the UnitedNations Committee against Torture, AI Index: EUR 54/02/00, April 2000.