Witness says Armenian police tortured him to get testimony
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 20 May 2009 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Witness says Armenian police tortured him to get testimony, 20 May 2009, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4a1d3e16e.html [accessed 9 October 2022] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
May 20, 2009
Burned cars on the streets of Yerevan on March 2, 2008
A third witness in the case against six Armenian opposition leaders for their roles in postelection protests in Yerevan last year has retracted his testimony after saying he was tortured and his life threatened, RFE/RL's Armenian Service reports.
Henrik Artenian told the court on May 18 that he "signed that testimony out of fear" after an investigator told him "if you want to stay alive you must write what we tell you."
Artenian was among witnesses who signed testimonies saying that Miasnik Malkhasian, one of the arrested oppositionists, organized and led the opposition protesters who clashed with security forces on March 1, 2008.
Ten people died in the violence.
Artenian asked Malkhasian to forgive him and said the police have been harassing him with summons to reaffirm his testimony.
"I said no," he told the court. "I said I will tell the truth."
Separately, two witnesses reaffirmed their testimony against one of the opposition leaders on May 19. The court hearing was held behind closed doors.
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
