ECHR Confirms Right to Life Violations in March 1 Case, Orders State Compensation

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) issued its judgment on September 18 in the case of Farmanyan v. Armenia, confirming that Armenia violated the right to life of most of the victims during the March 1, 2008 events. The Court found that, with the exception of Samvel Harutyunyan and Zakar Hovhannisyan, the actions of the state surrounding the deaths of the other victims violated Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects the right to life.

In addition, the Court determined that Armenia violated Article 38 of the Convention, which requires states to cooperate with the Court. The ECHR said that Armenian authorities had not carried out an effective or comprehensive investigation into the circumstances of the victims’ deaths.

As part of the ruling, the Court ordered that each relative of a victim should receive €30,000 ($35,000) in compensation for non-material damages and €35,000 ($41,000) to cover legal costs.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan responded to the ECHR ruling, saying that the Court confirmed what had long been obvious. “I think the European Court of Human Rights has confirmed the obvious. Why the obvious? Because I have previously said that, essentially, the March 1 case has been uncovered, and the results of that investigation, by the way, are now being examined in court,” he said during a government briefing.

Pashinyan suggested that the ruling could serve as an additional incentive for Armenia’s justice system to hold those responsible accountable. “I hope that the European Court of Human Rights’ ruling will also be a new stimulus and signal for our law enforcement authorities, to really find a way first to conduct an effective trial and ensure that none of the perpetrators of March 1 escape not just formal but real responsibility,” he said.

Pashinyan also spoke about delays in the judicial process, noting that the Court’s decision is an opportunity to reconsider how long trials can be postponed. “I think the European Court of Human Rights’ ruling is a legitimate reason to take another look—how long can all this drag on, how long can the trial continue with such vague answers? Of course, I say again—the March 1 crime has been uncovered. The files of that criminal case state everything. By the way, I don’t know if the materials of that criminal case, which have long been public, have been communicated to the public, what is written there. Because I feel that when I say the March 1 case has been uncovered, at least some journalists look at me with puzzled expressions—how is it uncovered? Well, it’s in those files,” he said.

—

Support independent reporting from the region by subscribing to The Armenian Report. Our team is funded solely by readers like you.