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Police Use Agents To Seize Money
Interview with Arthur Sakunts, head of Helsinki Citizens Assembly
Vanadzor Office
Armenia is implementing a methadone treatment program but addicts are
not quite happy though it is intended to help them get better. What is
the reason?
Drug users are treated highly negatively, and they are prosecuted not
only for using but also buying and making drugs. In fact, these people
are a risk group. One of the requirements of Global Fund implementing
this program is to involve a police representative. The beneficiaries
of the program undergo regular checkup, and the police representative
is informed about the results of tests. In Vanadzor we demanded to
include our representative to control the actions of the police
representative. Nevertheless, very few people apply for the program.
We conducted a survey among the beneficiaries and found that some
people are still chased by the police. In Lori, particularly in
Vanadzor, there are about 1000-1200 intravenous narcotic addicts but
only 20-25 people are involved in the program.
Why is the police attitude to the program negative? Is there a
corruption issue?
It's strange that a person refuses a program which is for their own
health. They thus become vulnerable to law enforcement agencies. We
know that these people are used to ensure their performance delivery
report. We think the police should stop its interference in this
medical service. In addition, they must encourage people to roll up
for the program. However, trade in narcotics is a serious business
which generates huge profit. Having their agents among users and
sellers, the police uses information to make money. I wouldn't deny
that they have monthly raids of blacklisted people and seize money.
Drug addicts have to do something else, so the crime rate grows
because they have to steal to get drugs.
Drug addicts are often arrested. Different monitoring results say that
people are more vulnerable in closed institutions.
The circumstance of drug addiction is not included in the files of a
criminal case. Now they continue to prosecute but without a test to
consider it as an attenuating circumstance. A disease is considered a
crime. It is the same to incriminate a cancer patient who uses drugs.
We conducted a monitoring of investigation and court examinations and
received response from the Prosecutor General's Office and the Police
and are waiting for the response of the Ministry of Health to publish
the findings.
Karine Ionesyan
13:08 15/06/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/index/eng/0/interview/view/30174
From: A. Papazian
Interview with Arthur Sakunts, head of Helsinki Citizens Assembly
Vanadzor Office
Armenia is implementing a methadone treatment program but addicts are
not quite happy though it is intended to help them get better. What is
the reason?
Drug users are treated highly negatively, and they are prosecuted not
only for using but also buying and making drugs. In fact, these people
are a risk group. One of the requirements of Global Fund implementing
this program is to involve a police representative. The beneficiaries
of the program undergo regular checkup, and the police representative
is informed about the results of tests. In Vanadzor we demanded to
include our representative to control the actions of the police
representative. Nevertheless, very few people apply for the program.
We conducted a survey among the beneficiaries and found that some
people are still chased by the police. In Lori, particularly in
Vanadzor, there are about 1000-1200 intravenous narcotic addicts but
only 20-25 people are involved in the program.
Why is the police attitude to the program negative? Is there a
corruption issue?
It's strange that a person refuses a program which is for their own
health. They thus become vulnerable to law enforcement agencies. We
know that these people are used to ensure their performance delivery
report. We think the police should stop its interference in this
medical service. In addition, they must encourage people to roll up
for the program. However, trade in narcotics is a serious business
which generates huge profit. Having their agents among users and
sellers, the police uses information to make money. I wouldn't deny
that they have monthly raids of blacklisted people and seize money.
Drug addicts have to do something else, so the crime rate grows
because they have to steal to get drugs.
Drug addicts are often arrested. Different monitoring results say that
people are more vulnerable in closed institutions.
The circumstance of drug addiction is not included in the files of a
criminal case. Now they continue to prosecute but without a test to
consider it as an attenuating circumstance. A disease is considered a
crime. It is the same to incriminate a cancer patient who uses drugs.
We conducted a monitoring of investigation and court examinations and
received response from the Prosecutor General's Office and the Police
and are waiting for the response of the Ministry of Health to publish
the findings.
Karine Ionesyan
13:08 15/06/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/index/eng/0/interview/view/30174
From: A. Papazian