On February 2 of 2020, Araks Melkonyan, the President of the \u201cProtection of Rights
\nwithout Borders\u201d NGO, as a speaker participated in the discussion on \u201cA Discussion on
\nthe Topic \u201cStrengths and Weaknesses of the Police Reforms for 2020-2022\u201d.<\/p>\n
Araks Melkonyan evaluated the measures directed towards the subjecting the Police to to
\nparliamentary oversights as positive, at the same time, she prioritized the necessity to
\nensure the institutional oversight of the civil society: such practice is prescribed in other
\nministries for example the Public Monitors' Group Conducting Monitoring in the RA
\nMinistry of Justice penitentiary institutions. The implementation of the independent and
\nprofessional oversight activities by a body consisted of the representatives of civil society
\nshall be ensured towards the police activities or towards a part of it.<\/p>\n
While referring the establishment of the criminal police and vesting the latter with the
\nauthority to conduct preliminary investigation, Araks Melkonyan highlighted that it is
\nessential to understand the role of the Police in the whole system of the criminal justice.
\nEstablishment of criminal police is envisaged by the strategy, but the issues of its
\njurisdiction, role in the criminal justice system are still problematic and vague. Our
\nexpectations from the Police should be observed in the context of criminal justice vision.
\nAs recorded by A. Melkonyan, the investigative activities shall not be repeated in
\ndifferent circles: \u201cInvestigative bodies are established by the judicial reform strategies
\nand anti-corruption strategies respectively, which will have a block conducting operative-
\ninvestigative activities. That is, the same authorities will be vested to the Special
\nInvestigative Service, Anti-Corruption Committee. Factually, only the Investigative
\nCommittee is that does not possess an authority to conduct operative-investigative
\nactivities\u201d.<\/p>\n
While referring to the transformation of the police troops, Araks Melkonyan highlighted,
\nthat a legislative and political assessment shall be given to the previous activities of the
\npolice, including not only to the police troops, but also to all the forces engaged in the
\nprocess of violating the citizens' rights during the peaceful assemblies, as well as
\ndispersing the peaceful assemblies, the patrol service, operative servants, investigators,
\nwho were also becoming a part of illegialities. Issuing of a legal evaluation is essential
\nnot only from the perspective of the victims, since, currently the examination by a
\nnumber of criminal cases are not in process. We have the cases related to Electric
\nYerevan of 2015, the July events of 2016, Arpil events of 2018: the latter were suspended
\nfor about three times and reopened. These are very essential issues from the police
\nreforms perspective. There are about 300 victims by the given cases, people are waiting
\nfor the exercise of the justice".<\/p>\n
The Organization presented recommendations to include the violations of the peaceful
\nassemblies within the scope of the transitional justice, which were not respectively
\nincluded in the documents without any clarification.<\/p>\n
A. Melkonyan made a reference to the issue of including the financial monitoring center
\nof the RA Central Bank in the composition of the newly opening Ministry of Internal
\nAffairs, as prescribe by the presented strategy. As assessed by Araks Melkonya, the
\ncurrently existing model by the strategy is available also in the major European countries.
\nThe applied model has a higher level of protection mechanism, that is banking secrecy,
\nprotection of personal data, as well as ensures higher level of independence and
\nprofessionalism. If we have a problem of quick response, implementation of effective
\nexamination, maintainance of deadlines, the only advantage of the financial monitoring
\ncenter is the quick response.<\/p>\n
As stated by Araks Melkomyan, the financial monitoring center of the RA Central Bank
\nis not necessary to include in the of the newly opening Ministry of Internal Affairs: the
\ncenter shall be vested with a larger scope of authorities, including with legislative data
\nbase and with more quick response authorities.<\/p>\n