"Fact" daily writes:
The Ministry of Internal Affairs proposes to launch a pilot program of medical records related to torture or other forms of ill-treatment in the Yerevan City Department and detention facilities. At present, the medical examination of detainees is carried out by emergency medical personnel and, given that this practice has been evaluated positively by the Committee for the Prevention of Torture, it is proposed to provide that emergency medical personnel invited to detainee detention facilities as part of the pilot program must as a result of the person's medical examination, on the basis of the form and guidelines defined by the draft, draw up a medical examination report related to torture or other forms of ill-treatment. Guided by the provisions of the Istanbul Protocol, as well as taking as a basis the provisions of the RA Penal Code, the draft also proposes to define torture or other forms of ill-treatment the details of the record of the related medical examination. It is proposed to establish that such a protocol is drawn up if there is a written or oral statement of the arrested person that the bodily injury or health complaint is the result of torture or other ill-treatment. A record is also made if a health care worker discovers that a detainee's physical injury or health complaint may be the result of torture or other forms of ill-treatment, or if an administrative officer of the detention facility informs the health care worker of a suspected case of torture or other forms of ill-treatment. As a result of the adoption of the project, testing of mechanisms for proper medical examination of arrested persons in Armenia and complete recording of its results will be ensured, based on common standards.
