28.11.2002 - Source: Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation

Members of the Presidential Guard reportedly not sentenced for beating someone to death ("8th European Country of Origin Information Seminar Vienna, 28 - 29 June 2002: Final Report - Armenia - co-funded by the EU Odysseus Programme") [#9877],  [ID 3402]

"But only two percent of the population are in a position to afford a court case. Disregarding the financial difficulties, most citizens are completely frustrated when it comes to courts. The legal process is considered to be corrupt, and this opinion is certainly well based, for in most cases the verdicts are already taken before a court session is held. The outcome usually depends on which party pays the higher bribes to the presiding judge. In effect, the independence of the judiciary in Armenia is highly questionable. AI: One example is the recent alleged killing of an ethnic Armenian from Georgia by presidential guards in a popular café in Yerevan. There have been many reports indicating that one or more of the presidential guards had beaten the victim to death. Nevertheless, the court only gave one presidential guard a suspended sentence. The speculation is that because he was a presidential guard the judiciary gave him a 'slap' instead of a real sentence."

Document(s): Arm-cois2002-rep.pdf