Vardan Ghukasyan alerted the US ambassador about torture in Armenia

Dear US Ambassador Christina Quinn,

The "Democracy, Law, Discipline" party, headed by Honorable President Vardan Ghukasyan, expresses its deep gratitude to the US Department of State, strongly condemning the policy of torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment implemented by the Armenian government in the recently published annual report on human rights.

The above-mentioned report seriously criticizes arbitrary arrests and detentions, as well as serious problems related to the independence of the judiciary.

Unfortunately, the government of the Republic of Armenia led by Nikol Pashinyan, as well as the President of the RA Investigative Committee, Argishti Kyaramyan, did not draw conclusions from this report of the US State Department and continue to continue and improve the policy of torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, which is miles away from democratic values.

This time, the case of torture took place on April 19, 2024, in the Investigative Department of Shengavit, against Police Lieutenant Colonel, former Sisian and Martuni City Police Chief Garik Muradyan.

Attached to the letter, we present to you a recording where you can listen for yourself to a part of the program of Vardan Ghukasyan, the honorary chairman of the Party and the author and host of the "Public Court" program, in which the voice of Garik Muradyan, who is being tortured, can be clearly heard.

It is noteworthy that the torture takes place in the presence of Garik Muradyan's lawyer Vahan Hovhanisyan.

The direct participants in the torture are Gevorg Khachatryan, the investigator in the case, two deputy heads of Shengavit's investigative department, 4 operative intelligence officers of the police, as well as the head of the operative-intelligence department, Gevorg Bareyan. During the torture, they stood on Garik Muradyan's face with their feet, tried to break his hands, hit his head on the table.

This cruel, humiliating and inhumane treatment happened to a witness in the case. In the recording, it is clearly heard that Garik Muradyan is asking for medical help, feeling pain in the heart area, but the criminal gang of the Investigative Committee continues to torture the witness for more than 1 hour, after which only Garik Muradyan receives medical help.

The episodes of tortures, violations of human rights, cruel, inhuman and humiliating treatment, reaching dozens already, record that the RA government under the leadership of Nikol Pashinyan and the intervention of the head of the RA Investigative Committee, Argishti Kyaramyan, removed the Republic of Armenia from all opportunities to be called a Democratic State.

We therefore urge you to condemn these flagrant human rights violations by the Armenian authorities and demand immediate action to ensure accountability, transparency and justice for all those tortured.

Silence or indifference in the face of such atrocities will provide an opportunity for new tortures and human rights violations.

Your voice and your actions at this critical moment will send a powerful message of solidarity and support to the Armenian people who continue to suffer due to oppression and injustice.

Sincerely,

Vardan Ghukasyan

Honorary President of "Democracy, Law, Discipline" Party