The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders

The World Organisation against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) publish the English version of the annual report of their joint programme, The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders. The section related to Armenia is based on the joint report issued by FIDH and CSI. The following is an excerpt from the report:

Release of Mr. Vahe Grigoryan¹

On February 15, 2006, Mr. Vahe Grigoryan, a lawyer and head of the Right-Legal Group, who represented four families challenging their eviction from their house in Yerevan, was released after being remanded over four months in custody. After examining Mr. Grigoryan’s complaint following the ruling of the Court of First Instance extending his pre-trial detention until April 7, 2006, the Court of Appeal ordered his release on the grounds that the investigation had not been completed within the legal time limit. Mr. Grigoryan had been arrested on October 7, 2005 and charged by the Public Prosecutor with “fraud” (Article 178-3-1 of the Criminal Code) and “falsification of documents” (Article 325-2) on the basis of a confession extracted under coercion. He has been increasingly harassed since early 2005 due to his activities within the Right-Legal Group.

¹ See Joint Report FIDH/Civil Society Institute (CSI), Overview of Major Human Rights Issues in the Republic of Armenia, November 14, 2006.