Sasha Davtyan, 48, was tortured at the Kentron Police Department for 4 days. Nine months have passed but he remembers one by one all the policemen that tortured and humiliated him. Some 10 policemen took part in beating feeble and frail Sasha Davtyan.

"It is Poghosyan Eric, Poghosyan Artur, Hovanisyan Artur, senior lieutenant Samvel, lieutenant Sergey... There are three others that were beating me; I know them by sight...

They gave me a good thrashing, 3 or 4 days, I don't remember. They knocked out my teeth, eight of them... In the court I gave one to Ashot Abgaryan, my daughters' representative," Sasha Davtyan was telling during our meeting at the Nubarashen detention center hardly hiding his emotions. 

Together with Sasha, the same days his two daughters, 18-year-old Shusan and 22-year-old Tehmine, were also tortured at the Kentron Police Department, but in other rooms. This simultaneous "Torture" operation was conducted with active initiative and participation of Yerevan Police Department investigator Ruben Vardanyan who was investigating the case.

Sasha Davtyan found himself at the Kentron Police Department on May 7, 2009 when an officer from the Talin Police Department visited him at his house in Katnaghbyur village. Sasha knew the policeman because he was for about 10 months engaged in the criminal case instigated for rape of Davtyan's younger daughter Sh.D. and tried to assist investigation. 

"Tehmine was at home with me. They took my child to the other room and told her: "We have to talk to your father". I didn't get what the talk was about... they started to swear, using the worst curses, they gave me a good thrashing... anyone coming in was hitting me...

"When they were taking me through the corridor, I could hear my child's voice, her weeping: "My dad did no such thing...". They were hitting my child... I heard her voice for 20-30 minutes..." Sasha told during our meeting at the Nubarashen detention facility.        

Deputy cheif of the Kentron Police Department Artur Hovanisyan first ordered to search Sasha Davtyan then got down to his work.

"Hovanisyan Artur came with the worst curses, gave me several blows and took me to his room. Three people were sitting there. Hovanisyan Artur started beating me... I didn't know what for, they wouldn't say... they were just swearing and beating me...

It was awful, I swore back, I asked: "What's the matter, what are you beating me for? First one of them would beat me and the other two would watch, then he left and another one came in and they started to beat me all three together."

Nobody explained to Sasha Davtyan at the Kentron Police Department why he was taken there, nobody answered his questions. He was taken from room to room and beaten.

"Then they took me to Poghosyan Artur's room. He stood up with the words "Your mother..." and gave be a blow that knocked me down. I struck my rib against the table corner, I thought I broke it, it took my breath away. I bent down and felt that 4-5 people attacked me from behind starting to beat me. I was refusing to sign..."

Then he was again taken back to Artur Hovanisyan's room where the beating continued. They wanted him to sign some paper.

"I said I won't sign any paper, I didn't even know what paper. Only after that they told me: "You did this and this to your daughter... I said that's impossible, no such thing happened and couldn't have happened.

They knocked me down and with 4-5 people were kicking me like a football... A well-bred person in civilian clothes entered.  They reported to him: He was the man that raped his child. I said: "It's a lie; no such thing happened and couldn't have happened." It seemed to me he was the chief of Kentron Police but I was a little distracted and don't remember his name.  

He said: "It's a shame that you rape your own child, there are so many prostitutes in the streets..." I said "Nothing of the sort happened; the investigator is fabricating a case against me". But the decently dressed man that looked like the chief wouldn't listen to Sasha's explanations.  

Sasha learned that Shushan too was in the hands of Kentron policemen on his forth day in police when investigator Ruben Vardanyan organized a so-called confrontation.

"Some 3 policemen were standing in front of my child, Ruben Vardanyan was sitting in front of me, and there were policemen behind me. I said: "Vardanyan, I have never seen such a confrontation. Kalashyan Artak (the former investigator on the case) would make people sit in front of each other and make them speak openly. What are you doing?"    

Sasha couldn't see his daughter's face. The policemen were standing between them like a wall. Investigators had already extorted from the 18-year-old girl the evidence they needed: that the father raped the girl (last December the court acquitted Sasha Davtyan of these false charges).

"I turned to her and said; "Shusanik, daddy's daughter..."  That's all I could say, they said "Your mother", and started beating me in front of my child. They kicked me in the stomach, knocked me down. I felt I started bleeding inside... I turned my head up towards my child, she was crying bitterly..."    

Sasha hoped that Kalashayan Artak, former investigator for his daughter's case would come. He didn't even know that new proceedings were instigated and a new investigator was appointed.

"I wanted to say: "Mr. Kalashyan, I was looking together with you for those who did that to my child, and now you are doing this to me?"

He was not allowed to call and inform his relatives on his whereabouts and that the court gave a sanction to keep him in detention for two months. 

Kentron and Nork-Marash court made a decision to detain Sasha Davtyan.

"The secretary came out with 2 papers in her hand. I signed without reading. I saw that at the end it says that I can protest. I signed it and asked: "What paper is this?" She said "One of the copies is yours". When the secretary left, investigator Ruben Vardanyan snatched the paper from me and I didn't manage to read properly that I could appeal the decision in 5 days.

"I asked: "Why are you taking it away". He said: "If you appeal the decision, it will be worse for you". I have never been in court, I know nothing about it."   

Sasha was severely beaten also at the Erebuni detention center on investigator Ruben Vardanyan's directions.   

"They took me to the Erebuni detention center. Before me the investigator had already been there. When I entered everyone was looking at me askew. Some 3 policemen beat me there too."

He was bleeding 5 days non-stop. At the Erebuni detention center he asked the shift supervisor to call a doctor or allow him to bathe the wound. They didn't call a doctor but allowed him to go to the lavatory.

"They made me to confess that I, as a father, slapped my child and they sentenced me to 4 years of imprisonment. They beat me at the Kentron police - investigators, policemen... They drove me to this condition... I'm lost, what for, for slapping the child? 4 years... I don't know what to do..."

Zhanna Alexanyan

P.S. Rape of minors is known to be the most unacceptable article among convicts and it was natural that Sasha Davtyan had to give explanations in the prison. He told cellmates all that happened with him, that "the investigator fabricated a case on him". About 20 convicts listened to his story in the quarantine cell. Then they told him to wait for 15-20 minutes.   

"Our good brothers from above came down and I told them everything like I told you". Later he was told: "Live your life as it is needed. You have no problem here. If someone says something to you or asks questions, he will have to deal with us." So in a very short time the "ones from above" managed to find out what really happened. 

One of the lawyers I was telling about laws that work in prison said: "In jurisprudence it is called effective justice, something that is absolutely lacking in our law enforcement system."