After Torturing Detainee, Police Offered Him Vodka Then Reported He was Drunk

After extorting a testimony through use of torture, police officers at the Erebuni division in Yerevan invited Alexander Tsverianov to eat barbecue and drink vodka, then drew up a report that he was intoxicated, said head of the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly Vanadzor Office Artur Sakunts at a press conference earlier today. Note, Tsverianov claims he was tortured to confess to robbing 16 apartments, in some cases of which there were no complaints submitted by the victims.

Sakunts remarked that this is one of those rare cases whereby the court found the torture claims to be proven. Nevertheless, ater receiving the verdict, the Special Investigation Service did not look into the torture allegations and did not launch criminal proceedings against the police who tortured the detainee.

"Furthermore, the Special Investigation Service is appealing the lower court's decision in the Court of Appeal. That is, this proves that the prosecution supports unlawfulness," he said.

In the meantime, the police officers who used force continue to work; their powers have no been revoked. Sakunts mentioned that Tsverianov spent 1.5 years in prison.

Tsverianov, in turn, announced his intention to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights, as he was held behind bars because of the extorted confession; moreover, the torture claims have been proven and the state is obliged to provide compensation as well as punish the guilty, in order to prevent future such incidents.