Case of Levon Gulyan who died in police to be sent to the ECtHR

The lawyers who represent the interests of the relatives of Levon Gulyan, who died three years ago at the police station, are going to lodge a complaint, after passage of all the domestic instances in Armenia, to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). They promised it today at a press conference.

Let us remind you that on May 13, 2007, Levon Gulyan fell down from the window of the second level of the head office of the police of Armenia and died in situ. He was summoned to the police as a witness of the murder committed in front of his institution - the tavern named "Pandok" and located in the Shengavit community of Yerevan. According to policemen, Gulyan just dropped out of the window of the police administration.

Lawyers Grair Gukasyan and Aram Karakhanyan said that their complaint was accepted for proceedings by the Cassation Court. Now, the lawyers wait for the Court to appoint the date of hearings.

Meanwhile, Mr Gukasyan has noted: "The experience shows that the complaints accepted for consideration may be both satisfied and rejected. In the latter case we plan to address the ECtHR. The whole progress of the case shows that today not only laws but also international conventions are broken in this country, therefore already today we have all grounds to address the ECtHR."

Another participant of the press conference - Avetik Iskhanyan, a human rights activist and Chairman of the Helsinki Committee of Armenia, - said: "The death of Levon Gulyan led to the death of Vaan Khalafyan: impunity is the reason. It is not excluded that someone will be again tortured at one of police stations. In Armenia nobody is made responsible for use of torture, in spite of Armenia's accession to a number of international conventions. On the one hand, policemen are not professionals and believe that confession is the only proof of a committed crime - other mechanisms of solving crimes are unknown to them. On the other hand, they feel their impunity. People are still tortured at police stations, but they keep silent from fear."