Prosecutor's Office Confirms Tovmasyan: What Does Interpol's Charter Define?

The independent MP Taguhi Tovmasyan published a remarkable document yesterday regarding the disgraceful episode of cooperation between Armenia and the International Criminal Police Organization, Interpol, which prompted the Armenian Prosecutor General's office to issue a clarification by the end of the day.

In response to that clarification, MP Tovmasyan provided her comments in an interview with 'Joghourd' newspaper: "Not deeming it necessary to address the lyrical flourishes of the Prosecutor General's official response, I find it necessary to comment on the professional claims published by the Prosecutor's Office, which are undoubtedly baseless. Thus, the Prosecutor's Office is 'clarifying' to us that the organization of the International Criminal Police, Interpol, is not the responsible entity in the field of criminal justice. According to the Prosecutor's Office, Interpol does not study the circumstances of cases, nor the factual data, and has neither the authority nor obligation to evaluate the justification or legality of charges, nor does it verify the details."

This raises the question of how Interpol makes decisions based on what, if not on factual data? I clarify for the Special Prosecutor's Office and our broader public that Article 3 of Interpol's charter states, 'The organization is strictly prohibited from undertaking any intervention or action of a political, military, religious, or racial character.' The main purpose of this article, according to official clarifications from Interpol, is: a) to ensure the independence and neutrality of Interpol as an international organization, b) to comply with international norms regarding extradition, c) to protect individuals from unlawful criminal prosecution.

According to Article 36 of Interpol's charter, it is the Documents Control Commission that is responsible for ensuring that the circulation of documents concerning individuals by the organization complies with the requirements of Article 3 of the charter. When we examine Article 34 of the commission's regulations, it clearly stipulates that before any personal data is circulated, the commission must ensure that such circulation complies with the requirements of Article 3 of Interpol's charter. Article 34, paragraph 3 of the commission's regulations explicitly states that in order for the committee to verify that the circulation of personal data through Interpol's channels does not violate Article 3 of the Convention, all relevant elements must be studied, and the first to be studied must be the nature of the crime, namely the charges presented and the facts underlying them," the independent MP explained.

Thus, Interpol's charter, its functions, and the legal avenues for questioning the basis of the charges are clarified. It appears that the Prosecutor's Office confirmed the MP’s stance, albeit in different wording,” writes 'Joghourd' newspaper.