CONCERNS IN EUROPE July - December 1999 FOREWORD This bulletin contains information about Amnesty International’s main concerns in Europe between July and December 1999. Not every country in Europe is reported on: only those where there were significant developments in the period covered by the bulletin. The five Central Asian republics of Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are included in the Europe Region because of their membership of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Reflecting the priority Amnesty International is giving to investigating and campaigning against human rights violations against women and children, the bulletin contains special sections on Women in Europe (p.95) and Children in Europe (p.99). A number of individual country reports have been issued on the concerns featured in this bulletin. References to these are made under the relevant country entry. In addition, more detailed information about particular incidents or concerns may be found in Urgent Actions and News Service Items issued by Amnesty International. This bulletin is published by Amnesty International every six months. References to previous bulletins in the text are: AI Index: EUR 01/02/99 Concerns in Europe: January - June 1999 AI Index: EUR 01/01/99 Concerns in Europe: July - December 1998 AI Index: EUR 01/02/98 Concerns in Europe: January - June 1998 AI Index: EUR 01/01/98 Concerns in Europe: July - December 1997 AI Index: EUR 01/01/97 Concerns in Europe: July - December 1996 AI Index: EUR 01/01/95 Concerns in Europe: May - December 1994 Amnesty International March 2000 AI Index: EUR 01/01/00 2 Concerns in Europe: July - December 1999 ARMENIA trial in accordance with the international standards Armenia has pledged to uphold. Five men (Nairi Unanian, his brother Karen Prisoners of conscience (update to AI Index: Unanian, their uncle Vram Galstian, Derenik EUR 01/01/99 and EUR 01/02/99) Bezhdanian and Eduard Grigorian) were arrested at the parliament building following the shootings, and At the end of the period under review at least 10 further arrests followed among alleged accomplices. young men remained imprisoned because their Charges brought include terrorism (Article 61 of conscience led them into conflict with the law that the criminal code) and premeditated murder (Article makes military service compulsory for young 99), both of which have a maximum sentence of males, and offers them no civilian alternative. Four death. men were released early - Grigor Daian, serving his second term for the same offence, was reportedly Alleged torture and death in custody given a presidential pardon; Karen Voskanian, reportedly severely beaten by conscription officials, At the end of September a senior military officer was released on health grounds; and Ruslan was reportedly beaten so severely by law Ohanganian and Gurgen Sevoian were released early enforcement officials in an attempt to force a after serving a third of their terms. However, five confession that he died in custody. Lieutenant- further arrests came to light during the period under Colonel Artush Ghazarian, the military commissar review. Jehovah’s Witnesses Vigen Hakobian, of Tashir district in the northern Lori region, had Khachatur Zakarian, Vardan Virabian, Vitaly Usupov been in detention since 18 September (or 14 and Artur Petrosian refused their call-up papers, or September, according to some reports), charged refused to cooperate after being forcibly with bribery. He was said to have been held at conscripted into the army, as their religious beliefs civilian preliminary detention centre No. 3 in the city precluded them from carrying out military service. of Vanadzor, but to have been taken from there for interrogation to a military police station where the beatings took place on or around the night of 30 Arrests following parliamentary assassinations September to 1 October (reports vary). His body was then said to have been transferred to Yerevan, On 27 October a group of armed men burst into the where an autopsy reportedly revealed injuries chamber of the National Assembly (parliament) and consistent with beatings - according to one report opened fire on senior officials. A total of eight men these included broken ribs, a broken upper jaw and died, including the Prime Minister Vazgen Sarkisian, damage to the kidneys. Amnesty International the Speaker of Parliament Karen Demirchian, and understands that a criminal case has been instituted the latter’s two deputies. into the death, and that initially a number of people Amnesty International extended its were detained including three prison guards and two condolences to President Robert Kocharian, and prison doctors. Later reports indicated that all but welcomed both his efforts to ensure that the events one were subsequently released on 6 October, and unfolded without further bloodshed and his public that in addition the head of the preliminary detention assurances at the time to the armed men that, on centre in Vanadzor had been detained. surrender, they would face no violence and would be granted a fair trial. In cases of such heightened Other deaths in custody emotions, the organization stressed, it is especially important that those detained and subsequently During the period under review Amnesty charged in connection with the deaths receive a fair International sought clarification on three further deaths in custody which occurred during the year, AI Index: EUR 01/01/00 Amnesty International March 2000 Concerns in Europe: July - December 1999 3 one of which was officially reported as suicide by Vardanian’s hands, fuelling allegations by unofficial defenestration. Eduard Vardanian is said to have sources that he had been tortured in custody. thrown himself from a window of an upper floor of The other two cases of deaths in custody a Ministry of Internal Affairs police station in concern prisoners Stepan Gevorgian and Oleg Abovian, the centre of the Kotaik region, at around Arishin, who are said to have died on 15 April and 9.30pm on 2 March. 27 April respectively. Both men were said to be Amnesty International understands that around 20 years old, and to have been jointly Eduard Vardanian had been called to the police convicted of robbery and assault on an official. station in Abovian to give evidence as a suspect in Stepan Gevorgian and Oleg Arishin were said to a case involving a murder. He told his family that have spent a total of 15 months in Sovetashen he went there on 25 February and was told to investigation-isolation prison in Yerevan, before return the following day. He did so, and was then being sent to corrective labour colony No. 14 at apparently taken into custody. His mother reports Artik on 2 April this year to serve the sentences of that when she went to the police station on 1 eight and five years’ imprisonment respectively. March, to hand over a parcel for her son and to find Oleg Arishin was officially said to have died as a out why he was being held, she was told that result of suicide by a drug overdose. Stepan Eduard Vardanian had been cleared of involvement Gevorgian, however, is said to have died after a in the murder, but that he had been given five days’ severe beating, although officials have been unable administrative detention as of 9am that morning. to identify the perpetrators. The official reason given for the detention was that Before the transfer to Artik, Stepan he had twice been summoned to give evidence but Gevorgian had been visited by his mother who had not responded. His mother further reports that reported that he was looking forward to the more she was telephoned at around 9pm on 3 March by flexible regime of imprisonment at the colony. Two someone requesting that she go to the Abovian days after his transfer, however, Stepan had police station the following morning. When she reportedly collapsed unconscious and was taken to arrived in the morning of 4 March she was Artik hospital. Visiting him there, his mother reportedly told by the head of the interrogation reported that his body, especially his back, bore department, Levon Ovanisian, that her son had traces of violent injuries. Stepan was transferred to killed a man, confessed everything, thrown himself the Nor Nork Emergency Hospital in Yerevan, but out of the window and been taken to hospital. died there on 15 April without regaining When she asked to be taken to the hospital the consciousness. Injuries noted at the postmortem officer replied that it was too late as her son had are said to have included fractures of the skull already died. which resulted in cranial haemorrhaging. A statement by the General Procuracy is A criminal case was reportedly instituted said to have added that at around 8.30pm on 2 into the death of Stepan Gevorgian, but then March Eduard Vardanian expressed his willingness subsequently closed as it was not possible to to meet the investigator, and had thrown himself out determine exactly when and where the assault of the window during the interrogation. He was which led to his death took place, and therefore taken to hospital, but died there at 5am on 3 March. those responsible. The forensic medical The procuracy had opened a criminal case in examination was said to have put his injuries at 12 connection with the death, which was recorded as to 15 days old, which meant that in theory, suicide in death certificate No. 2060915/12 issued according to officials, the assault could have on 6 March by the chief medical examiner of Kotaik happened either at the Sovetashen investigation- region. According to unofficial sources, however, isolation prison, during the transfer, or at Artik there were traces of cigarette burns on Eduard colony.