Armenian lawyer decries silence after video shows police torture

An Armenian lawyer has criticised senior officials, including the prime minister and the human rights defender, for failing to comment publicly on a video circulating online that shows a police officer torturing a civilian.

In a social media post on Wednesday, Varazdat Harutyunyan claimed the silence appeared aimed at preventing broader scrutiny of systemic torture and police violence, arguing that any official response could fuel public debate ahead of upcoming elections

Harutyunyan urged opposition parties and civil society groups to press the authorities with specific questions and to demand structural reforms. He also questioned whether the officer involved would have faced any consequences had the video not leaked.

As an example, he cited the 2023 case of opposition activist Samvel Vardanyan, saying that police officers implicated in his torture were not held accountable and were later promoted. Harutyunyan noted that the investigation into that case will soon mark its second year without results.