Armenian sentenced to life imprisonment in Ukraine is tortured
Armenian citizen Merab Suslov has been sentenced to life imprisonment in Ukraine, where he has been subjected to torture. Relatives of Merab Suslov and representatives of Yezidis’ community in Armenia held a demonstration near the Embassy of Ukraine in Yerevan. They wanted to give a letter to the Ambassador of Ukraine Ivan Koukhta.
Merab Suslov (Aloyan) was arrested a couple of years ago in Russia and was extradited to Ukraine, where he was accused in ordering murder. In November 2008 the first instance court of Ukraine made a verdict to send him to life imprisonment. Currently the case is under the consideration of the court of appeals.
One of Merab Suslov’s lawyers from Armenia, Karen Ghazaryan told us that the court proceedings were held in violation of a number of rules, “Based on wrong information he is accused in ordering murder of his friend, the court proceeding in Ukraine was held in violation of the principles of fair justice and he was sent to life imprisonment. There is no proven evidence in the court to show that Suslov committed or ordered that murder. None of 22 witnesses that gave testimony in the preliminary investigation process confirmed their testimony in the court. I think it is about business interests as there is big money involved.”
Karen Ghazaryan demands stop torturing his client and assures that Merab Suslov is being kept in unbearable conditions, “He is facing humiliation there, which is against the laws of Ukraine and human rights in general. Even he was tortured recently. Prison guards in masks entered his cell and beat him up.”
The lawyer says that the parents of Merab Suslov were subjected to violence in the court room, where they broke his father’s nose and left injuries on his mother too. Merab’s father Otar Aloyan told us that his son is innocent and the murder had been ordered by relatives of the killed man. They are demanding extradition of their son to Armenia. Merab Suslov’s relatives say he has been an honest man, “Now his mother is in a very bad situation.”
The staff of the Ukrainian Embassy listened to the participants of the demonstration and said they would look into their demand and organize a meeting with the lawyer. Merab Suslov’s relatives have sent letters to the president and foreign affairs minister of Armenia as well.
Below is the text of the letter submitted to the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine in Armenia by Merab Suslov’s parents, Otar Aloyan and Zina Nadryan, and the Union of Yezidis of Armenia:
“With this letter we are complaining to the government of Ukraine in connection with the torture on the part of the Ukrainian government against Merab Suslov (Aloyan), being citizen of the Republic of Armenia, and brute violation of his human rights. Merab Suslov was an outstanding businessmen in CIS. Two years ago criminal case was launched against him by the government of Ukraine and he was accused in crime, due to which was arrested in Russia and extradited to Ukraine. Since March 2011 Merab has been in cells in Ukraine. On November 8, 2012, the first instance court made a verdict to sentence him to life imprisonment. Currently the case is submitted to the court of appeals. Ukrainian media is full of information and publications about the violence and violations during the legal and court proceedings of this case. It is enough to say that Merab was deprived of the right to see a lawyer during six months, 22 out of 29 witnesses failed to show up in the court, they were not questioned, a number of important witnesses said that they had been subjected to violence during the legal proceedings and said they were revoking their testimonies, Mehrab’s lawyers were forced out of the court room, and later him, so the verdict was read without him being in the court room. This case has generated huge noise. A number of international human rights organizations have already addressed this case. Accordingly, any attempt on the part of civic society is being pressed down by the government of Ukraine. Ukrainian journalist Anatoliy Shariy had to leave from Ukraine and apply to the European Union for asylum after a murder attempt against him following a number of media publications he issued, and later the police launched cases and accused him in two alleged crimes. Currently he lives in a EU country, where he found asylum.
Recently we found out that in Lukianovsk prison, where he is spending his term of custody, he is being subjected to violence and brute humiliation. It is enough to say that he was kept in a punishment cell for three months, and every time he was being taken to bathroom or court, he was being escorted by guards in masks, who are known with their brutality and tradition of brute force without any reason. The fact of escorting a prisoner in such condition is not understandable. It is even stranger that when they take him somewhere, they put handcuffs on him with his hands up on the back and keeping his face down, which is very painful and humiliating for the dignity. We were very angry to know about the fact that he had been taken to the court room with a sack put on his head, and when they took the sack out and he could see around, he saw the relatives of the suffered party taking him on camera and laughing at him. He was even humiliated for his religion and national identity, and they tore the religious symbol from his neck and threw into the toilette.”
