OSCE Yerevan Office donates equipment to State Investigative Committee to help improve criminal justice in Armenia

The OSCE Office in Yerevan on 15 April 2015 donated equipment including 15 computers and three printer-scanner machines to the newly-established State Investigative Committee with the aim of enhancing the capacities and efficiency of this institution and its investigators, and to promote the gradual digitalization of their materials.

“The OSCE attaches utmost importance to promoting human rights protection and a criminal justice system in line with international standards, and we hope our joint efforts will contribute to this aim,” said the Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan, Ambassador Andrey Sorokin.

The Chairman of the Investigative Committee, Aghvan Hovsepyan, welcomed the OSCE’s support. “Citizens have the right to know about the activities and steps that the law enforcement bodies and the Investigative Committee take to disclose crimes and to ensure rule of law,” he said. “Proper working conditions and the necessary technical equipment will affect the quality and efficiency of criminal proceedings. Thanks to the support from the OSCE Office, a pilot initiative to implement the digitalization of materials on criminal cases is currently underway in two investigative departments of Yerevan and further digitalization in the regions is under consideration.”

The OSCE Office in Yerevan has additionally provided technical equipment to a training centre to be established within the Committee to foster the professional skills of the investigators and to strengthen the administrative capacity of the centre. The equipment includes a server, 20 computers, monitors, a whiteboard, a projector, and other related items.

The OSCE also supported the development of the official website of the Committee to increase the transparency and enhance public access to its activities.

The efforts are part of the OSCE Office in Yerevan activities to promote fair trial standards in Armenia.