ECHR Rules on March 1 Case: Armenian Authorities Violated Victims’ Right to Life

STRASBOURG — On September 18, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) issued its judgment in the case Farmanyan v. Armenia, concerning the nine victims of the March 1 events, finding multiple violations committed by the Republic of Armenia.

According to the unanimous ruling, with the exception of the cases of Samvel Harutyunyan and Zakar Hovhannisyan, the deaths of the other victims were found to result from state actions that violated the right to life.

In particular, the Court determined that the Armenian authorities failed to carry out an effective and thorough investigation into the circumstances of the victims’ deaths. The ruling also recorded a violation of Article 38 of the European Convention, which requires states to fully cooperate with the Court.

As part of the judgment, the Court ordered that the relatives of each victim be awarded €30,000 in compensation for non-pecuniary damages. Additionally, a total of €35,000 was granted to the applicants to cover legal costs and expenses.

Thus, the ECHR confirmed that the Armenian authorities had violated the right to life of the citizens who were killed and failed to ensure a fair investigation, obliging the state to provide financial compensation to the affected families.

Responding to the ruling during a press briefing, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated:
“The European Court of Human Rights has confirmed what was already obvious. I have said before that, essentially, the March 1 case has been revealed. The findings of that revelation, by the way, are currently under discussion in the courts.

“What I hope—and I believe—is that the ECHR judgment will serve as a new stimulus and signal for our law enforcement bodies to finally ensure an effective judicial process, and to guarantee that none of the perpetrators of the March 1 crimes escape real accountability.

“I think this ruling provides a legal opportunity to once again reflect: how long can all this be dragged out, how long can the proceedings continue with vague answers? I repeat, the March 1 crime has been uncovered—those criminal volumes contain everything,” he said.