Armenian police officer charged with torture, faces up to eight years in prison

Armenian prosecutors have charged a police officer with torturing a citizen in custody, an offence punishable by up to eight years in prison, the Prosecutor General’s Office said on Thursday.

The criminal case was launched on Wednesday. Prosecutors initiated criminal prosecution against officer Hayk Hakobyan under Article 450.1 of Armenia’s Criminal Code.

The law defines torture as the intentional infliction of severe physical or mental suffering by an official for extraction of information or a confession, punishment, intimidation or coercion.

Authorities gave no further details about the case.