On July 14, the RA Prosecutor General's Office invited a roundtable discussion on the state of investigation of criminal cases on torture, current problems, prospects for the prevention of torture and the effectiveness of investigation. The relevant coordinators of programs in the field of human rights protection, in particular, a number of organizations specializing in human rights activities, competent state bodies, representatives of the human rights defender's office, Armenian representations of international organizations took part in the discussion.
Attention was paid to the statistics of the investigated criminal cases on the facts of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment for 2014-2016, according to which, unlike the previous two years, in 2016, there was an increase in criminal cases sent to court with an indictment.
Stressing the importance of measures to prevent torture and improve the quality and effectiveness of the preliminary investigation by the RA Prosecutor General's Office, readiness for dialogue with civil society on the solution of existing problems, representatives of civil society expressed their concerns and business proposals.In particular, the need to increase public confidence in the impartiality, integrity and completeness of the investigation of cases of torture, regulation of video recording of certain criminal procedural actions carried out in the course of their activities, clarification of the criteria, the implementation of preparatory programs not only for prosecutors, but also police, investigators aimed at raising awareness, arming with the necessary knowledge both from international legal norms concerning torture, and decisions of the board of the RA Prosecutor General's Office. It was also proposed to create conditions for institutional cooperation between civil society and the prosecutor's office.
