On 17–18 March, a delegation from the Department for the Execution of Judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (DEJ) conducted a mission to Yerevan to engage with the Armenian authorities on selected cases pending execution.
On the first day, the DEJ delegation held meetings with the Office of the Representative on International Legal Matters, the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, the Deputy Minister of Justice, representatives of the Prosecutor General’s Office, the Investigative Committee, the Ministries of Healthcare and Social Affairs, the Penitentiary Service, and the Supreme Judicial Council. Discussions primarily focused on groups of cases under enhanced supervision, including those scheduled for examination by the Committee of Ministers in 2026. These included Shirkhanyan group (concerning medical care in detention), Vardanyan and Khalafyan group (concerning ill-treatment, torture, and deaths in police custody), and Oganezova group (concerning homophobic attacks, hate speech, and discrimination against members of the LGBT community). On the second day, the DEJ met representatives of non-governmental organisations and the Human Rights Defender. The discussions, among other issues, explored ways to strengthen NGOs’ capacity to prepare and submit Rule 9 communications.
The DEJ also participated in a high-level workshop organised by the Council of Europe Office in Yerevan, in cooperation with the Court of Cassation, and attended by judges from Armenia’s superior courts, as well as by the Prosecutor General. During the workshop, the delegation delivered presentations on the role of higher courts in the execution of European Court judgments, as well as on the implementation of judgments concerning reasonable time limits and the length of proceedings.
