GENERAL PROVISIONS

In this order, the requirements, directions, and the scope of responsible subdivisions and persons providing information, their duties, as well as guidelines for selection of information to be published are defined by the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia (hereinafter referred to as the Committee) for official publications, public awareness and public communication.

The official publications and public awareness are implemented to provide the publicity, transparency and public accountability of the Committee’s activity, informing about the process and results of preliminary investigation of criminal proceedings, due to it, formation of public trust in criminal justice, protection of the rights of the state and citizens within the criminal proceedings, enhancement of public awareness.

Official publications, work of public communication are implemented by the Committee based on the balance of public and private interests.

The official publications on the Committee’s activity, public awareness are implemented through the Committee’s official website, Committee’s official pages of «Facebook» and other social networks, providing verbal or written information to mass media by the Press Secretary of the Chairman of the Committee, clarifications and comments, on the initiative of the Press Secretary, by persons holding autonomous position, as well as through the procedure established by the Law of the Republic of Armenia «On Freedom of Information».   

The events, criminal proceedings, separate actions conducted within them, subject to publication, are selected based on their significance in the coverage of general activity of the Committee, and in case of criminal proceedings, from the point of view of prevention, disclosure of crimes through preliminary investigation, restoration of the violated rights of the state, legal entities, citizens, raising the citizens’ awareness from becoming targets of crimes.

The necessity of publication of information on criminal proceedings is assessed taking into account the public resonance of the crime case, the individual actions carried out within the framework of criminal proceedings, in a specific situation, the gravity of crime and degree of public danger, or judicial perspective of the proceedings, or significant achievements and results aimed at restoration of violated pecuniary and non-pecuniary rights of the state, legal entities, citizens, in cases when the publication of the information is driven by the interests of priority of keeping the public informed.

The publications shall not contain data of criminal proceedings that are not subject to publication, hinder the course of proceedings, lead to publication of state or other secrets protected by law or restricted service information.

Written or verbal information regarding criminal proceedings shall not include personal data of the accused, the victim or any other person related to the criminal proceeding (any information which allows to identify the person directly or indirectly), unless the publication of such personal data is directly provided by law.

In case the publication of personal data is not planned, the data of individuals shall be depersonalized in the information provided in writing or verbally. Depersonalization rule may be waived only in very exceptional cases if:

the publication of identifying information of the accused, the victim or any other person related to the criminal proceeding derives directly from the public right to be informed,

not publishing identifying information would result in a violation of any other right or legitimate interest prevailing the right to the protection of personal data of the accused, the victim or any other person involved in the criminal proceeding.

The personal data of the victim within criminal proceedings is subject to depersonalization, particularly within proceedings related to minors, trafficking, sexual harassment, domestic violence, torture.

In written or verbal information, identifying information of legal entities related to apparent criminal acts may not be published considering the requirements of the protection of business protection of the legal entity, if, according to the assessment of the body conducting the proceeding, the private interest, in a specific case, prevails over the public interest of receiving information

GUIDELINES FOR OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS, PUBLIC AWARENESS AND PUBLIC COMMUNICATION WORKS

Both informative and awareness publications regarding criminal proceedings are carried out through:

press releases,

creation of author’s video, as needed,

giving verbal or written answers to requests about separate proceedings, the Committee’s activity submitted by various mass media or persons engaged in media activity,

providing public clarifications, as needed, regarding the publications of mass media related to the Committee’s activity, criminal proceedings investigated in the Committee,

assisting in the preparation of informative, analytical materials in cooperation with various media, specialized programs and journalists, guided by the need to protect non-public data in criminal proceedings.

The following types of information regarding criminal proceedings are subject to publication:

multi-episode crimes, murder cases, murder attempts, banditry, crimes committed by a group with a criminal subculture or criminal groups, cybercrimes, trafficking, illegal turnover of narcotic drugs in particularly large amount, corruption-related crimes, hooliganism committed under aggravated circumstances, initiation of criminal proceedings on multi-episode swindling, initiation of criminal prosecution within the framework of the proceeding, pressing charges, selection of pretrial measure, completion of preliminary investigation with a bill of indictment, in some cases also on termination of the proceeding, based on the requirement of the Point 6 of this order:

the accused (former or current high-ranking officials, high-ranking officers) - criminal proceedings initiated on acts arising from official powers as well as proceedings within the framework of which damage in particularly large amount caused to the state or community by the alleged crime, has been recovered, or a significant result has been recorded, the materials of the proceeding completed with a bill of indictment, in the light of the judicial perspective, has been sent to the prosecutor or the case with the bill of indictment has been sent to court, or the criminal proceeding has been terminated as a result of recovery of damage in particularly large amount, in case the public's right to be informed is evaluated by the body conducting the proceedings, prevailing against the private interest;

the proceedings which or the actions that are the basis of the initiation, have already gained a wide public resonance before being published by the competent body, among them in mass media, social networks, have been widely discussed by expert circles, and when obvious misinformation regarding the given proceedings has been widely disseminated;

the proceedings the publication of information on the initiation or progress of which is aimed at increasing public awareness;

war crimes, murder of a serviceman of the Republic of Armenia committed by the rival, murder cases committed in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia, suicide cases, criminal proceedings related to fatal accidents, among them initiation of the criminal proceeding, interim results of the preliminary investigation in the light of the judicial perspective - initiation of criminal prosecution, sufficing a motion on selecting detention as a pretrial measure, completion of the proceeding with a bill of indictment and referring the case to court, to the extent permitted by the body conducting the proceedings.

For the application of the Sub-Point 3 of the Point 13 of this Order, it is necessary that, the Press Secretary of the Chairman of the Committee considers that there is a significant public resonance, and in case of spreading disinformation, it is not considered effective or appropriate to spread a denial in specific media outlets that have made relevant publications.

Coverage of significant working meetings, discussions, consultations, seminars and other events with participation of the Committee officials is carried out in the following ways:

preparation and dissemination of official releases, including videos as needed, on the most important working meetings, consultations, discussions and other events in the Committee,

providing informational references in preferred formats about the most important events, held in other places with participation of the officials of the Committee.

Public awareness and communication activities also include:

organization of interviews in different formats with participation of the Committee officials in order to provide more comprehensive coverage of the Committee's work and to provide the public with more comprehensive information,

organization of press conferences and briefings in order to establish closer relations between the Committee and the media, to provide comprehensive professional answers to questions of public importance and to exclude the spread of misinformation,

ensuring the participation of the representatives of the Committee, as necessary, in the programs organized by various media on topics related to the functions of the Committee,

organization of discussions in round tables and other formats with participation of other state bodies, non-governmental organizations, mass media representatives, sector experts on issues of public importance related to the Committee's activities and competences.

carrying out daily monitoring of print, online and broadcast media,

regular monitoring and structural and content updating of the Committee's official website, "Facebook" and other social sites, with involvement of the Committee's main and supporting professional structural units,

cooperation with media and other non-governmental organizations (including international ones) for the purpose of periodic modernization of the activities carried out in the field of freedom of information,

implementation of quantitative and qualitative summaries of audio-visual, textual measurable official information to be prepared and published, in order to ensure their qualitative improvement;

cooperation with other state bodies - officials responsible for the field - for the purposes of ensuring information security, preventing the spread of misinformation, sharing experience and information not prohibited by law;

re-equipment of logistic means in order to ensure the efficiency and variety of public communication.

ensuring the participation of public relations officers of the Committee in local and foreign training programs and courses aimed at acquiring new knowledge and skills in the field of public communication.