Ombudsman receives complaints over police forcing people to testify about vote buying

Over the past few days, Armenia’s ombudsman received complaints from several residents of the town of Goris in Syunik Province alleging they were taken to police stations and forced to give false testimony. Similar publications circulate on the Internet too. They will be sent to the Prosecutor’s Office for investigation.

According to the complaints, residents were paid social benefits on various dates, including in 2021, but the law enforcement bodies, including the police, take those people to police stations without grounds, deprive them of their liberty for hours, force them to give directed testimonies that the mayor of Goris, as well as the mayors of Karahunj and Vorotan gave them this money as election bribes. There are also reports that residents are being forced to testify on a number of other issues. According to the residents, they have always received social assistance, which has nothing to do with voting or not voting for the incumbent Prime Minister or the head of another political force. According to the alarms, women are especially pressured to provide the testimony requested by law enforcement agencies.

Taking into account the complaints and alarms, a group from the Human Rights Defender’s Office was sent to Syunik region to check the protection of the rights of the residents on the spot, to have the necessary meetings and to take measures. On the instructions of the Human Rights Defender, visits will be made today to the heads of the arrested Karahunj and Vorotan administrative districts. Today, a visit will be made to the head of Kajaran community, a penitentiary institution.