Extended board session was held at the RA Investigative Committee which was headed by the RA IC Chairman Aghvan Hovsepyan.

Work performed in 2017 was discussed, crime situation, dynamics, work carried out to reveal crime, achievements and shortcomings were analyzed at the extended board session. The RA IC Deputies Chairman Aram Tamazyan, Hayk Grigoryan, Vahagn Harutyunyan and Artur Ghambaryan presented the work performed according to spheres.

In 2017 20.284 crime cases were recorded in the Republic while the number of crime cases in 2016 was 18.764; that is growth of crime with about 8.1 percent is noticed which is mainly conditioned with growth of cases on breach of traffic rules and operation of means of transportation, theft.

90.7% of criminal cases initiated on crime cases recorded in 2017 was investigated in the proceeding of the RA Investigative Committee, criminal cases on the rest of the cases – 9.3% were investigated in the proceeding of Special Investigatory Service, investigative departments of National Security Service and State Revenue Committee.

In the result of joint actions of great volume conducted together with operative-intelligence bodies in the framework of criminal cases investigated in the proceeding of the RA IC subdivisions numerous grave and multi-episode crimes were revealed. In 2017 the index of disclosure of general crimes has increased by 4.8% which is 83.3% as compared with 78.5% in 2016 grave crime of which – 60% as compared with 54.2% in 2016. 8342 (including compulsory medical treatment) of the investigated criminal cases were completed. 0.4% of criminal cases sent to prosecutors with the bill of indictment was returned to the Investigative Committee for additional investigation.

In spite of considerable workload of IC investigators consistent steps have been taken to raise the quality and efficiency of investigation of criminal cases investigated in the proceeding of the RA Investigative Committee. In the result of obtaining necessary evidence from other competent bodies, mechanisms introduced to verify them in tight deadlines, planning, organizing investigation in a correct way deadlines of preliminary investigation have been reduced.

Thus, in 2017 4243 criminal cases were completed in up to two months’ period while in 2016 - 4016, at the same time, the number of criminal cases investigated for a year has decreased. As of January 1, 2018 the number of such cases was 153 as compared with 232 of the previous year.

Deadlines, sometimes also quality of forensic examinations commissioned to find circumstances significant for criminal cases are still of primary issue.

It was reported that effective mechanisms have already been taken up to raise the efficiency of organization of forensic psychological and forensic psychiatric examinations.

Pursuant to agreement between the RA Investigative Committee and Yerevan State Medical University after M. Heratsi, as well as Armenian State Pedagogical University after Kh. Abovyan, on the base of RA IC Chairman’s orders N 51-Լ of 20.09.2016 and N 30-Լ of 01.03.2017 conduction of forensic psychological examinations was tasked to psychologist-specialists of the above-mentioned organizations.

Besides, trainings on forensic psychiatry for specialization of psychiatrists of «Syunik Regional Neurological Psychiatric Dispensary» and «Lori Regional Neuropsychiatric Dispensary» were organized in Yerevan State Medical University by the RA Ministry of Health and Yerevan State Medical University. As a result, the psychiatrists of the above-mentioned organizations have had appropriate training and from now on will conduct forensic psychological ambulatory examinations in regions. In the result of these measures the overload of expert centers operating in Yerevan has been considerably relieved in the indicated directions.

However, the process of conduction of forensic examinations commissioned to find out a number of other professional issues is still worrying. There were cases when after months of examinations the experts just abstained from answering the investigator’s questions and new additional examinations were commissioned. As a result, as the RA IC Chairman Aghvan Hovsepyan mentioned, not only deadlines of preliminary investigation are breached but also it becomes impossible to find out circumstances significant for the criminal case and in such conditions the investigator is unable to give appropriate criminal-legal assessment.

“During preliminary investigation some rights of parties of the proceeding are limited in the order defined by law and deadline delays directly endanger the human rights protection, have negative impact on the quality and efficiency of preliminary investigation. There were cases when the investigator commissioned forensic examination for a few times tasking their conduction to several expert centers, as there were no answers to his questions. Whereas, the state spends considerable resources on conduction of forensic examinations”, said Aghvan Hovsepyan and instructed to organize a separate discussion with participation of the heads of expert centers.   

Board members stated that previous year work of great volume has been performed to raise the investigation quality, as well as professionalism, discipline of investigators. The RA IC Chairman emphasized that together with positive achievements shortcomings have also been recorded, cases have been revealed which cast a shadow on the work performed, the work performed by conscientious employees.  

“Since the first days of the formation of structure I have always told that the behavior, the image of each of you is a part of general image, general behavior and general morality of the Investigative Committee. We have always estimated, encouraged the positive work. We do everything to improve the logistics base, investigators’ financial condition and will go on doing it. It was strictly instructed not to delay even for a day the granting of titles of the employees envisaged by law and you have always got and get them in time.  But, unfortunately, cases have been recorded by several employees which just do harm to our dignity. In relation with the latest cases, I don’t think that any of you would not hang his head because these cases have done harm to our dignity, to our overall image. Such cases are just impermissible, unacceptable and intolerable. We have a will to see and speak about negative phenomena besides representing the positive ones, as well as to take appropriate measures as we did in that case. If you cannot meet the specified requirements, if you cannot consider yourselves a staff member, if you do something that will cast a shadow to our overall image, you had better leave, we will find someone instead of you”, stated Aghvan Hovsepyan.

During the previous year the Investigative Committee took consistent steps to give legislative regulations to a number of criminal-procedural issues arising from practice. 29 drafts of RA Laws were worked out and circulated in the order defined by law most of which was represented to the RA National Assembly.  The draft law “On Amendments in RA Law “On Investigative Committee of Republic of Armenia” through which significant changes have been made in the system of the RA Investigative Committee, draft law “On Amendments in Criminal Code of Republic of Armenia” on increasing the frame of crimes against family and children’s interests were accepted by the RA National Assembly. RA draft laws “On Amendments in Criminal Procedure Code of Republic of Armenia” on the review of the institute of witnesses, package of drafts on reserving the responsibility of site protection for the inquest bodies, as well as RA draft law “On Amendments in “RA Law on Academy of Justice” are considered in the RA National Assembly. A draft on amendment in the appropriate law providing the legal procedure of taking samples forcedly was represented to the RA Ministry of Justice. Draft law “On Amendments in Criminal Code of Republic of Armenia” (tightening punishments for tree felling) and other draft laws were worked out and circulated.   

On January, 2018 the program “Electronic Preliminary Investigation” initiated by the Investigative Committee was operated which will improve the collection and processing of statistical data, as well. Also considerable work was performed to improve the forms of statistical reports of internal circulation; forms of reports on crimes with minors’ involvement, domestic violence, as well as corruption crimes were introduced.