By Karine Kalantarian
The Armenian law-enforcement agencies registered 11,483 various crimes last year or nearly 5 percent less than in 2000, it was announced on Tuesday.
Senior prosecutors reviewing results of their year-long work claimed to have solved 85 percent of the crimes. They said that despite the overall drop there were more drug-related offences, cases of fraud and other “economic crimes.”
Statistical data released during the meeting put the number of murders committed in Armenia in 2001 at 88, down from 91 such cases registered in 2000. Eighteen murders remain unsolved, according to official figures.
Chief Military Prosecutor Gagik Jahangirian said ten Armenian servicemen were murdered by fellow soldiers or army officers in out-of-combat incidents. Six other servicemen were forced to commit suicides, he said.
Deputy Prosecutor-General Aghvan Hovsepian said his agency uncovered 36 corruption cases which inflicted 2.8 billion drams ($5 million) worth of damages on the state.
The real scale of corruption is believed to be much higher in Armenia. None of the registered cases of graft apparently involved high-ranking government officials.
Another deputy prosecutor-general, Zhirayr Kharatian, admitted that many criminal cases submitted by his subordinates to courts are not properly investigated and substantiated with evidence. He said detainees often lack information about details of accusations brought against them but made no mention of their widespread mistreatment by law-enforcement officials.
International human rights groups say beating in custody is the most frequent form of human rights abuses in Armenia.
The Armenian law-enforcement agencies registered 11,483 various crimes last year or nearly 5 percent less than in 2000, it was announced on Tuesday.
Senior prosecutors reviewing results of their year-long work claimed to have solved 85 percent of the crimes. They said that despite the overall drop there were more drug-related offences, cases of fraud and other “economic crimes.”
Statistical data released during the meeting put the number of murders committed in Armenia in 2001 at 88, down from 91 such cases registered in 2000. Eighteen murders remain unsolved, according to official figures.
Chief Military Prosecutor Gagik Jahangirian said ten Armenian servicemen were murdered by fellow soldiers or army officers in out-of-combat incidents. Six other servicemen were forced to commit suicides, he said.
Deputy Prosecutor-General Aghvan Hovsepian said his agency uncovered 36 corruption cases which inflicted 2.8 billion drams ($5 million) worth of damages on the state.
The real scale of corruption is believed to be much higher in Armenia. None of the registered cases of graft apparently involved high-ranking government officials.
Another deputy prosecutor-general, Zhirayr Kharatian, admitted that many criminal cases submitted by his subordinates to courts are not properly investigated and substantiated with evidence. He said detainees often lack information about details of accusations brought against them but made no mention of their widespread mistreatment by law-enforcement officials.
International human rights groups say beating in custody is the most frequent form of human rights abuses in Armenia.