Clarification from the Investigative Committee Regarding Violence Against Minors

On the previous day, the head of the Human Rights and Public Affairs Committee of the National Assembly of Armenia made a post on social media under the emphatic headline "Violence Against Minors Continues". He alleged that during the questioning of a minor, various employees of the Investigative Committee, including heads of different departments, entered the interrogation room after the lawyer requested them to leave, claiming that since it was a minor’s examination, no third party had the right to be present. The attendees reportedly yelled at the lawyer and attempted to pressurize both the lawyer and the minor.

The Investigative Committee of Armenia deems it necessary to note that the stated circumstances do not reflect reality. Firstly, during the investigative action conducted with the minor, no third party was present in the relevant room, and the action was carried out in accordance with all procedures stipulated by the Criminal Procedure Code. Furthermore, considering that the investigative action was being conducted with a minor, it was carried out in the presence and participation of a psychologist, as prescribed by law.

In order to ensure the effectiveness of the preliminary investigation, an investigative team was formed, with investigators obligated to participate in the investigative actions. Two officials from the investigative department entered the room only after the questioning was completed and the protocol concerning it was drawn up, which is not prohibited by any procedural rules. It is also noteworthy that the protocol was signed by both the psychologist present and the lawyer representing the minor.

Therefore, the claims regarding pressure being applied and yelling are clear manifestations of a simplistic distortion of reality. In this context, the unfounded conclusions drawn in the post regarding the alleged knowledge of the President of the Investigative Committee on these so-called illegal actions, suggesting that he is 'facilitating' that minor boys do not testify against the actions of the police who inflicted violence upon them, are products of vivid imagination and aim to politicize the proceedings under the guise of protecting minors' rights.

This is also evidenced by the fact that the esteemed Chairman of the Human Rights Protection and Public Affairs Committee of the National Assembly made such a post based solely on subjective and self-serving interpretations of the lawyer, without obtaining the necessary information and clarification from the Investigative Committee of Armenia, nor subjecting it to impartial analysis.

As rightly documented in the aforementioned post, an expert from the secretariat of the said parliamentary committee established contact with the press secretary of the President of the Investigative Committee of Armenia to 'express the lawyer's concerns' and 'sound the alarm' (which was duly communicated to the relevant authorized officials), rather than to obtain necessary information from the Investigative Committee regarding the incident.

In light of the above, we urge to refrain from supporting the distortion of reality through such unilateral posts aimed at using public opinion against the prosecuting body and to avoid unsuccessful attempts to inject a political hue into an ongoing process within the legal framework.