Z. Postanjyan: “Gagik Jhangiryan must be interrogated” (video)
Today the European Court of Human Rights has issued a judgment on the case of three former servicemen, who were charged with murder in Madagis and were later acquitted. The Court held that Armenia was to pay Arayik Zalyan 20,000 euros (EUR) and Razmik Sargsyan and Musa Serobyan EUR 15,000 each in respect of non-pecuniary damage. “Holding liable the officials, because of whom we suffered so much, would be moral and full liability,” Arayik Zalyan told “A1+”. Three servicemen applied to the European Court by claiming that they had been subjected to such torture and pressures by the military leadership that Razmik Sargsyan had to give false testimony that they had killed two fellow servicemen. “We have Chief of Traffic Police, Armen Hakobyan, who was one of the torturers on Madagis case. We have also other officials, who are involved in this case. Such a course of this case and today’s judgment are the result of their unlawful actions,” said Arayik Zalyan. Because of lack of evidence the European Court didn’t find violation of Article 3 (prohibition of torture and of inhuman or degrading treatment), but it registered that there was violation of Article 3 of the Convention on account of the lack of an effective investigation into their complaints of having been subjected to torture. The Court also decided that there was a violation of Article 5 §§ 1, 2 and 3 (right to liberty and security) in respect of one of the applicants, Mr Zalyan. Formerly, lawmaker Zaruhi Postanjyan defended the applicants on Madagis case in interstate courts: “It serves as a basis, so that the people, who took unlawful actions against them, relevant judicial process begins. It is our joint victory.” The lawmaker thinks that the struggle isn’t over yet and there will be final outcome only when all the people responsible will be held liable. “Particularly in this case Gagik Jhangiryan has his large share of guilt in connection with concealing, and he must be interrogated and in case of interrogation we must know who had given him such instructions to blame innocent people and conceal the real criminals,” she said. By the way, when in 2012 three servicemen on Madagis case were acquitted, the murder case was sent to the separate investigation, but until today the case hasn’t been revealed.
