Environmentalist to appeal to European Court of Human Rights
Environmental activist Mariam Sukhudyan is going to appeal to the European Court of Human Right, hra.am reports.
Earlier Sukhudyan filed charges against the Armenian police for 1 million AMD in moral compensation, arguing that Police Chief Alik Sargsyan violated her "presumed innocence till proven guilty" right. Local courts struck down her civil case for compensation, finding it ungrounded. The ruling made the environmentalist seek justice at the ECHR.
Within a program financed by the UN Yerevan Office, in 2009 Mariam Sukhudyan worked with a group of volunteers in Nubarashen special school #11 where she reported incidences of neglect, violence and sexual abuse towards the children with mental disabilities.
Following these scandal, on February 11, 2009, Mariam Sukhudyan was accused of defamation by the RA Police Erebuni Investigation department, risking up to 5 years of imprisonment. Later the preliminary inquiry into the case was forwarded to the Investigation Department of Yerevan City, which found the teacher of Nubarashen special school guilty of sexual abuse and sentenced him to three years in prison.
While the case was still under investigation, Alik Sargsyan announced in a press conference that Mariam Sukhudyan "presented unfounded accusations, slandered an innocent man and incited minors to the offense."
Sukhudyan was later sued for "libel and false denunciation." Sayat Shirinyan, former head of the Police Department on Public Relations, labeled Mariam as "criminal." By law, no one has a right to declare the defendant a criminal unless the verdict brought against him/her is put into effect.
