CEDH · CASELAW;JUDGMENTS;CHAMBER;ENG — 24 novembre 2016

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ARMENIA   (Application no. 11275/07)                 JUDGMENT     STRASBOURG   24 November 2016       FINAL   24/02/2017   This judgment has become final under Article 44 § 2 of the Convention. It may be subject to editorial revision.   In the case of Muradyan v. Armenia, The European Court of Human Rights (First Section), sitting as a Chamber composed of:   Mirjana Lazarova Trajkovska, President,   Ledi Bianku,   Kristina Pardalos,   Aleš Pejchal,   Armen Harutyunyan,   Pauliine Koskelo,   Tim Eicke, judges, and Abel Campos, Section Registrar, Having deliberated in private on 3 November 2016, Delivers the following judgment, which was adopted on that date: PROCEDURE 1.     The case originated in an application (no. 11275/07) against the Republic of Armenia lodged with the Court under Article 34 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) by an Armenian national, Mr Hrachya Muradyan (“the applicant”), on 12 March 2007. 2.     The applicant was represented by Mr M. Shushanyan, a lawyer practising in Yerevan. The Armenian Government (“the Government”) were represented by their Agent, Mr G. Kostanyan, Representative of the Republic of Armenia at the European Court of Human Rights. 3.     The applicant alleged, in particular, that his son, Suren Muradyan, had died as a result of ill-treatment by his superiors – three military officers – and the subsequent failure to provide him with adequate medical assistance and that the authorities had failed to carry out an effective investigation into these circumstances. 4.     On 17 November 2011 the application was communicated to the Government. THE FACTS I.     THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE 5.     The applicant was born in 1956 and lives in Baghramyan village. A.     Suren Muradyan’s illness, hospitalisation and his subsequent death 6.     On 26 June 2001 Suren Muradyan was drafted into the Armenian army and assigned to military unit no. 59703 of the Nagorno Karabakh Armed Forces (hereafter, the military unit) situated in the unrecognised Nagorno Karabakh Republic (hereafter, Nagorno Karabakh). During his service he also participated in the activities of the music squad as a trumpet player. 7.     From 24 or 25 July 2002 Suren Muradyan started to feel unwell. His temperature occasionally rose to 40 o C, he shivered and had headaches, and suffered from nausea and loss of appetite. 8.     It appears that on the next day Suren Muradyan, who remained in the barracks throughout this period, was visited by the head of the military unit’s medical service, A.H. (hereafter, military unit doctor A.H.). The outcome of this visit is unclear. It further appears that on 27 July 2002, when Suren   Muradyan’s condition worsened, his fellow servicemen once again called A.H., who at the time was at the aid post. He refused to visit, telling them that Suren Muradyan should come to the aid post himself. 9.     It further appears that later Suren Muradyan was visited by the head of the military unit’s aid post, S.G. (hereafter, military unit doctor S.G.), who apparently administered anti-fever pills and gave some injections. Suren   Muradyan was apparently diagnosed as having “acute respiratory illness”. 10.     Throughout this entire period only two entries were made in Suren   Muradyan’s personal medical file kept at the military unit’s aid post, on 29 July and 1 August 2002, according to which Suren Muradyan was suffering from general asthenia, loss of appetite, body aches, muscle pain and high fever. Anti-fever medicine was prescribed, such as analgin and paracetamol. 11.     On 3 August 2002 at 6.30 p.m. Suren Muradyan, whose condition had deteriorated, was taken to the military hospital of Mekhakavan (Nagorno Karabakh) by military unit doctor S.G. At the time of admission Suren   Muradyan complained of general asthenia, nausea, fever and shivering. As a preliminary diagnosis “malaria” was indicated. The acting head of the infection unit of the hospital, I.M. (hereafter, hospital doctor I.M.), was assigned as his doctor in charge. 12.     At 6.45 p.m. Suren Muradyan underwent a preliminary examination. His temperature was 38.5 o C and his general condition was considered to be of medium gravity. He believed himself to have been ill for the past week with periodic rises of temperature and shivering fits. His lungs were checked and abdomen palpated. Upon palpation, the left side of his abdomen caused him pain, while the right side caused only light pain. In conclusion it was noted that Suren   Muradyan was to undergo close observation of his temperature and a parasitological examination, taking into account that he was serving in a malaria hotbed and had preliminary clinical signs of malaria. Anti-fever medicine and vitamins were prescribed and he was put on a drip. 13.     On 4 August 2002 at 11 a.m. Suren Muradyan’s general condition was considered relatively satisfactory and his temperature was 37.2 o C. He had no shivering fits. 14.     At 3.30 p.m. Suren Muradyan started shivering and his temperature rose to 39.8 o C. A general blood test and a parasitological examination were assigned, and a blood sample was taken for examination. 15.     At 7.40 p.m. Suren Muradyan’s condition worsened. He was conscious and agitated. He vomited, complained of nausea and abdominal pains and was pale and breathing heavily. According to the medical orderly, Suren   Muradyan fell down after returning from the lavatory. While being examined, he lost consciousness and his pulse disappeared. A resuscitation specialist was urgently called. 16.     At 7.45 p.m. the resuscitation specialist registered Suren Muradyan’s clinical death and started resuscitation therapy. 17.     At 9.15 p.m., after the resuscitation therapy proved ineffective, Suren   Muradyan’s biological death was registered. According to the results of the parasitological test, which became known on the same day, no trace of malaria was discovered in Suren Muradyan’s blood sample. B.     Investigation by the Hadrut Garrison Military Prosecutor’s Office of Nagorno Karabakh 1.     Preliminary medical conclusions and institution of criminal proceedings 18.     On 5 August 2002 investigator G. of the Hadrut Garrison Military Prosecutor’s Office of Nagorno Karabakh ordered a post-mortem examination of Suren Muradyan’s body to be conducted by a forensic medical expert in Yerevan, Armenia. The expert was asked to determine the time and cause of death, the existence of any external injuries, their nature, method of infliction and possible link with the death. The above ‑ mentioned blood sample was also presented to the expert for a malaria test. 19.     On the same day the investigator conducted an external examination of Suren Muradyan’s body. He then took a statement from a senior nurse from the hospital reception who submitted that Suren Muradyan, upon his arrival at the hospital, was feeling so unwell that he could hardly speak and asked to lie down. After he told hospital doctor I.M. that he had been feeling this way for the last eight days, I.M. angrily asked military unit doctor S.G., who had accompanied Suren Muradyan to the hospital, why he had been brought to the hospital so belatedly. The nurse further confirmed that Suren   Muradyan had been brought to the hospital with suspected malaria. 20.     On 6 August 2002 forensic medical expert M.B. started the post ‑ mortem examination, including an autopsy, of Suren Muradyan’s body and on the same day sent a telegram to investigator G., saying that Suren   Muradyan had died as a result of acute internal bleeding caused by a ruptured spleen resulting from an internal blunt injury to the left side of the abdomen involving old and new bruises. 21.     On the same day the investigator decided, taking into account that Suren   Muradyan had been subjected to ill-treatment, to institute criminal proceedings no. 91204602 under Article 105 § 2 of the old Criminal Code of Armenia (intentional infliction of grave bodily harm resulting in the victim’s death). 2.     The results of the post-mortem examination and other investigative measures 22.     On 7 August 2002 at least six servicemen of the military unit were questioned as witnesses. According to their statements, on 21 July 2002 a group of servicemen of the military unit, including Suren Muradyan, had been taken to the town of Martuni (Nagorno Karabakh) in order to participate in a comedy contest organised between teams from different military units. The group was accompanied by lieutenant V.G. and captain D.H. (hereafter, officers V.G. and D.H.). After the contest, the servicemen had been taken to a post office, outside which an argument had erupted between officers V.G. and D.H. on one side and Suren Muradyan on the other. Officer V.G. claimed that a watch that Suren Muradyan was wearing belonged to him and had been lost some days before, during a table tennis match. Officers V.G. and D.H. had both started swearing at Suren   Muradyan. Officer V.G. had then grabbed Suren Muradyan’s hand and removed the watch. Suren   Muradyan had explained that he had borrowed the watch from a fellow serviceman, whose name he did not know, to wear at the comedy contest. Officers V.G. and D.H. did not believe him and gave him a deadline to reveal the identity of that person. They further claimed that a second watch had been lost and ordered Suren   Muradyan to find and bring it within the same deadline. Officer D.H. had threatened that, if he failed to do so, he would get into trouble. After the incident the group had walked to the bus to return to the military unit. Suren   Muradyan and officers V.G. and D.H. had walked apart, calmly discussing something. In reply to the investigator’s question, the servicemen stated that neither V.G. nor D.H. had hit Suren Muradyan during the argument. They further stated that they had heard later from Suren Muradyan that during the following days he had been taken on several occasions by officers V.G. and D.H. to the office of lieutenant colonel K.Z., the acting commander of the military unit, who was also its deputy commander (hereafter, officer K.Z.). There he had been given a deadline to comply with their demands. Officer K.Z. had threatened that, if he failed to do so, he would get into trouble and would be punished. From 24-25 July 2002 Suren Muradyan had started to feel unwell and stayed in bed. A couple of times he had been visited by military unit doctors A.H. and S.G. On 2 August a group of servicemen of the military unit had travelled to the town of Stepanakert (Nagorno Karabakh) to participate in another round of the contest. Suren   Muradyan had gone along but could not participate as he felt very unwell. The group had returned to the military unit from Stepanakert late at night and on the following day Suren   Muradyan had been taken to hospital. In reply to the investigator’s question, the servicemen stated that they were unaware if Suren Muradyan had been beaten or had been involved in a fight. 23.     On the same date two other servicemen of the military unit, K.E. and G.M., were questioned. Serviceman K.E. stated that he had been present during the table tennis match in question, while serviceman G.M. stated that he was the person who had lent the watch to Suren Muradyan. On 23 or 24   July 2002 (according to serviceman G.M.) or 25 July 2002 (according to serviceman K.E.) all three of them had been taken several times by officers V.G. and D.H. to officer K.Z.’s office in the headquarters, where they were asked about the watches. There they had been given a deadline until 6 p.m. to find and bring the second watch. When they had returned at 6 p.m., Suren   Muradyan and serviceman K.E. had been ordered to enter first, while serviceman G.M. had entered after they went out. According to serviceman G.M., they had been given two more days, while according to serviceman K.E., they had been given until Saturday (27 July) morning to find the second watch. Serviceman K.E. further stated that on 27 July he had been temporarily transferred to a different location for works and was no longer involved in this story. He added that when he and Suren Muradyan had been together in the office nobody had touched them. 24.     On 9 and 10 August 2002 respectively the investigator took statements from officers D.H. and V.G. in their capacity of witnesses, who recounted the events that had taken place on 21 July 2002 in Martuni, including the argument between them and Suren Muradyan near the post office. Officer V.G. stated, inter alia , that Suren Muradyan had voluntarily removed and handed the watch to him. Officer D.H. stated, inter alia , that he had met Suren Muradyan on the next morning in front of the headquarters and had given him a three-day deadline to find and bring the second watch. Both officers further stated that following the expiry of the three-day deadline they had taken Suren Muradyan and serviceman K.E. to the office of officer K.Z. who had had a talk with them in private. No questions were posed by the investigator to officer D.H., while officer V.G. was asked several questions about the argument of 21 July 2002. Officer V.G. admitted swearing at Suren Muradyan, as well as briefly shaking and pulling on his hand, but denied hitting him and could not remember whether he or officer D.H. had slapped him. 25.     On 11 August 2002 the investigator questioned officer D.H. as a witness, posing a number of questions about the argument of 21 July 2002. The investigator further asked for information on the follow-up meetings, to which officer D.H. confirmed his earlier statement, adding that he had not heard any noise coming from officer K.Z.’s office while waiting outside. 26.     On the same date serviceman K.E. was questioned again. He added to his previous statement that officer K.Z. had sworn at them but had not hit them, when he and Suren Muradyan were in his office. 27.     On 12 August 2002 officers D.H. and V.G. were questioned again and asked further questions about the argument of 21 July 2002. Officer D.H. was further asked, inter alia , whether he had had personal motives in summoning Suren Muradyan so often to the headquarters, as well as why no entry had been made in Suren Muradyan’s medical file until 3 August 2002, if he had asked for medical help already on 25 July 2002. 28.     On 17 August 2002 the investigator took a statement from officer K.Z. in his capacity as a witness. Officer K.Z. confirmed that he had summoned Suren Muradyan and serviceman K.E. to his office for a talk in connection with the lost watches. During their talk Suren Muradyan had been allowed to go and fetch serviceman G.M. He had then had a talk with all three of them, releasing G.M. first and ordering the other two to find and bring the second watch. Officer K.Z. further stated that on 29 July 2002 he had again summoned Suren Muradyan and serviceman K.E. but the latter had come alone since Suren Muradyan was unwell. He had then ordered serviceman K.E. to fetch Suren Muradyan. When the latter came, he had asked what was wrong with him and why he was staying in the barracks, to which Suren   Muradyan had replied that he had a fever and was taking treatment prescribed by the doctor. He had then given them one week to find the second watch. The investigator posed two questions to officer K.Z.: (a) whether he had beaten, slapped or sworn at Suren Muradyan or serviceman K.E. when they were in his office, which officer K.Z. denied, and (b) whether he was alone when he met with them, to which officer K.Z. replied that he had met them only in his office. 29.     On 2 September 2002 the applicant was granted victim status. 30.     On 11 September 2002 the post-mortem examination was completed and its results were sent to the Hadrut Garrison Military Prosecutor’s Office. The relevant parts of forensic medical expert M.B.’s conclusions read as follows: “ External examination of the corpse . ... Injuries: There is an abrasion measuring 0.8   x 0.6 cm on the right side of the forehead, which is located lower than the surrounding skin and has a dark red surface. ... Internal examination of the corpse . ... In the thickness of the muscles in the area of the left side of the abdomen, in the projection of the spleen, bruising measuring 10   x   9   cm was discovered... The blood sample taken from Suren Muradyan at the hospital was sent to the Ministry of Defence of Armenia and the National Security Service of Armenia for a bacteriological examination... The following reply, dated 21 August 2002, was received from military unit no.   74252 of the Ministry of Defence of Armenia on 28 August 2002 ... ‘three-day-old malaria agents ... were found as a result of a bacteriological examination under a microscope slide of Suren Muradyan’s blood smear taken at the hospital’. According to the results of the forensic histological examination ... dated 11 September 2002 ... ‘Forensic histological conclusion: ... old and new bruises to soft tissues in the area of the left side of the abdomen; internal bruising of the spleen’. Forensic medical diagnosis . A closed blunt injury to the abdomen, old and new bruises to soft tissues and muscles in the area of the left side of the abdomen, enlarged spleen..., spleen rupture and bruising, ... Acute internal bleeding. Malaria. An abrasion on the right side of the forehead... Conclusions . ... 2.     Suren Muradyan’s death was caused by acute internal bleeding resulting from the rupture of the deformed and enlarged spleen, accompanied by a closed and diffuse abdominal injury and by old and new bruises in the area of the left side of the abdomen. 3.     The following injuries were identified as a result of the forensic medical examination of Suren Muradyan’s corpse: old and new bruises to soft tissues and muscles in the area of the left side of the abdomen, spleen rupture and bruising ... [and] an abrasion on the right side of the forehead. ... Of the above-mentioned bodily injuries the old and new bruises to soft tissues and muscles in the area of the left side of the abdomen [and] spleen rupture and bruising ... were inflicted by blunt objects or tools having a limited surface; judging by the nature of the old and new bruises to soft tissues and muscles in the area of the left side of the abdomen it can be said that the old bruises are more than about 8-10 days old, while the new bruising is about 1-2 days old. The closed and diffuse abdominal injury accompanied by spleen rupture and acute internal bleeding is considered a grave bodily injury posing threat to life and has a direct causal link with [Suren Muradyan’s] death. The abrasion on the right side of the forehead was inflicted while alive by a blunt object having a limited surface and is considered a minor bodily injury... 4.     As indicated above, the death occurred more than 8-10 days after the infliction of the main injuries (the above-mentioned old bruising in the area of the left side of the abdomen, in all probability accompanied by an initial sub-capsular rupture of the spleen and absorbent haemorrhage). As regards the abrasion on the right side of the forehead and the new bruise, these were inflicted 1-2 days before death. ... 12.     It follows from the reply received from Laboratory no. 3 of the Ministry of Defence of Armenia that three-day-old malaria agents were discovered in the blood sample [taken from Suren Muradyan at the military hospital]. 13.     ... A.     Suren Muradyan’s spleen was enlarged and deformed as a result of malaria. B.     C.     As indicated above, the initial closed and blunt abdominal injury, accompanied by the old bruising in the area of the left side of the abdomen, in all probability led to the sub-capsular rupture of the spleen with concentration of blood, which is also indirectly evidenced by the absorbent haemorrhage in the spleen disclosed by the forensic histological examination; the spleen capsule erupted as a result of the increase in concentration of blood in the following days, which led to acute bleeding. This process may last days but it is impossible to determine the exact number of days. D.     It appears from the medical file that on 4 August 2002 at 7.40 p.m. Suren   Muradyan fell down in the hospital’s lavatory; taking into account the above ‑ mentioned circumstances concerning the spleen rupture and acute internal bleeding, the spleen rupture could not have been caused by the fall in the hospital’s lavatory.” 31.     On 12 September 2002 officers V.G. and D.H. were arrested under Article 251 of the old Criminal Code of Armenia (insult of a subordinate by a violent act by a superior). 32.     On 13 September 2002 they were charged under the same Article and were detained. This decision stated that on 21 July 2002 at around 6.30   p.m. near Martuni post office, officers V.G. and D.H., being public officials and suspecting Suren Muradyan of theft, instead of applying disciplinary sanctions, attacked him in front of about fifteen servicemen by swearing at him, thereby humiliating him. It further stated that officer V.G., having pulled at Suren Muradyan, caused him physical pain. 33.     On 14 September 2002 officers V.G. and D.H. were questioned as suspects and both confirmed that on 21 July 2002 they had pulled and sworn at Suren   Muradyan near the Martuni post office. They were asked questions about the swear words used. 34.     On 25 September 2002 investigator G. decided to assign a panel forensic medical examination in order to determine the scope of responsibility of the military unit and the hospital doctors for Suren   Muradyan’s death, including the timeliness and accuracy of the diagnosis and the treatment provided, the timeliness of his transfer to hospital and whether they could have detected the injuries revealed by the post-mortem examination. This decision stated, inter alia , that on 21 July 2002 Suren Muradyan had had an argument with two officers of the military unit, V.G. and D.H., after which, starting from 24 July, his health had deteriorated. 35.     On 6 October 2002 a serviceman of the military unit’s music squad was questioned. He stated that Suren Muradyan had had no arguments or scuffles with anybody. On the way back from Martuni, Suren Muradyan had told him that he had got into trouble because of this watch and that “now they would frame him”. However, Suren Muradyan had never told him or others that he had been ill-treated, even in reply to a direct question following his visit to officer K.Z.’s office. The serviceman confirmed that Suren   Muradyan had started to feel unwell from 24 July 2002. He further stated that he and others had wiped sweat from Suren Muradyan’s forehead, belly, back and legs during his illness but had not noticed any traces of injuries. On the second day of his illness, military unit doctor A.H. had come to visit him and concluded that he had caught cold. Several days later military unit doctor S.G. had come, said that Suren Muradyan had flu and given him some pills. On the last days Suren Muradyan had been very ill: he had lost a lot of weight and staggered when walking, so they had to accompany him to the toilets. 36.     On 6 November 2002 the experts conducting the panel forensic medical examination produced their opinion. According to its conclusions, it had been possible for the doctors of the military unit not to discover the injuries which led to Suren   Muradyan’s death since there were no visible traces of injuries on the surface of the skin. The enlarged spleen might have been caused by malaria and the injury sustained by Suren Muradyan might have brought about the sub-capsular bleeding which later led to a ruptured spleen and acute internal bleeding. Referring to the fact that no malaria agents were discovered in Suren Muradyan’s blood sample by the parasitological examination of 4 August 2002, the experts attributed this to the fact that agents could be detected at the stage of the disease when the sick person experiences shivering and fever accompanied by high temperature. The opinion lastly stated that, given that no malaria agents had been discovered, not specific but symptomatic treatment had to be prescribed, and in fact had been provided in full. 37.     On 7 November 2002 serviceman G.M. was questioned again and stated that both Suren Muradyan and serviceman K.E. had denied having been beaten or sworn at during their first visit to officer K.Z.’s office. When he and Suren Muradyan visited the office the next morning, officer K.Z. had said to him “Why did you enter? You go out, you have received your punishment”. In reply to the investigator’s question, serviceman G.M. stated that he had not noticed any bruises or signs of pain on Suren Muradyan when he came out of the office five minutes later. He could not say what officer K.Z. meant by his statement and whether it meant that now it was Suren Muradyan’s turn to be punished. 38.     On 2 December 2002 the applicant lodged a complaint with the Military Prosecutor of Armenia, arguing in detail that his son had died as a result of a beating by officers V.G., D.H., K.Z. and another officer, B., as well as the failure of the doctors of the military unit, S.G. and A.H., to provide medical assistance. He claimed that serviceman G.M. had admitted during questioning, in his presence, that he had been badly ill-treated by officer K.Z. in his office. Suren Muradyan had been next to enter that office, alone, and the following morning he had been so unwell in bed that he was not able to return to officer K.Z.’s office. The applicant alleged that the beating which resulted in Suren Muradyan’s ruptured spleen and subsequent death had taken place at that moment. He further claimed that the doctors had intentionally refused to provide medical assistance and to transfer Suren   Muradyan to hospital in order to cover up the abuse. The applicant requested the Military Prosecutor to identify those responsible for his son’s death. 39.     On 10 December 2002 investigator G. decided to order an additional forensic medical examination. In addition to the questions asked earlier, the experts were requested to determine whether the military unit and the hospital doctors could have detected the spleen enlargement and what they were supposed to do if it had been detected, as well as whether Suren   Muradyan’s spleen could have ruptured earlier and been followed by slow bleeding. 40.     On 11 December 2002 the forensic medical experts produced an additional opinion. According to its conclusions, since on 29 July 2002 Suren Muradyan had not complained of abdominal pains, the doctors of the military unit had no reason to suspect malaria and diagnosed his condition as an acute respiratory illness. The opinion further stated that usually a doctor was obliged to deliver a diagnosis after having carefully examined the patient. Suren Muradyan’s medical file contained his complaints but no indication of results of any such examination. If on 29 July 2002 Suren   Muradyan’s spleen had already been enlarged, it would have been possible to detect this through palpation and to transfer him to hospital. The same was possible at the hospital. As regards the sub-capsular rupture of the spleen, it was almost impossible to detect. Had the spleen rupture been detected and the spleen removed by surgery, Suren Muradyan’s life could have been saved. Lastly, the injuries discovered by the post-mortem examination were not detected by the doctors since there were no visible traces of injuries on the outer part of the skin. 41.     On 15 December 2002 a serviceman, K.B., who had been undergoing treatment at the hospital when Suren Muradyan was admitted, was questioned. He stated that he had become acquainted with Suren Muradyan upon the latter’s admission to hospital. Suren Muradyan had looked very ill and told him that he had spent the last eight days in the barracks. K.B. further stated that he had not noticed any bruises on Suren Muradyan’s forehead or any fights or arguments during his two-day stay in hospital. 42.     On 4 February 2003 the criminal case against officers V.G. and D.H. concerning the charges of insult was disjoined from the main criminal proceedings concerning Suren Muradyan’s death since there was no causal link between the two. A new number was assigned to the disjoined case (no.   91200703). 43.     During the investigation a number of other unrelated offences committed by officers V.G. and D.H. were revealed. As regards, in particular, officer D.H., the investigation revealed that in April 2002 he had kicked a soldier for sleeping on watch duty and broken the soldier’s arm. Officer D.H. was charged with inflicting bodily injuries. 44.     On 28 February 2003 the bill of indictment concerning the disjoined case was submitted to the Syunik Regional Court. 45 .     By a letter of 19 March 2003 the Minister of Defence of Nagorno Karabakh filed a motion with the Syunik Regional Court requesting that a non-custodial sentence be imposed on officer D.H. and that he stay under the control of the military unit command, taking into account his long and diligent service in the armed forces, the report/request of the command of formation no. 42009 and the fact that he regretted his actions and that his actions posed no danger to society. 46.     On 12 April 2003 forensic medical expert M.B. was questioned. He confirmed that Suren Muradyan had already been ill with malaria when he sustained the old bruises in the area of the left side of the abdomen. He stated that the fact that Suren Muradyan was ill might have accelerated the transformation of the sub-capsular rupture into a full rupture and internal bleeding. However, even a healthy spleen could suffer a sub-capsular rupture from a blow, later leading to a full rupture. The transformation of the sub-capsular rupture into full rupture could happen with or without external influence. The expert lastly confirmed that the new bruises found on Suren Muradyan’s body and the abrasion to the left side of his forehead could have been caused by his falling on the hospital floor not long before his death. 47.     On 18 April 2003 serviceman G.M. was questioned again and confirmed that no sound of blows or other loud noise could be heard when he had waited for Suren Muradyan outside the office. Later he had heard rumours that Suren   Muradyan had been beaten by officers V.G. and D.H. Serviceman G.M. further explained that he had inquired with Suren Muradyan and serviceman K.E. whether they had been beaten, because officer K.Z. had hit him a few times while in the office. He lastly requested that no criminal proceedings be brought against officer K.Z. because he had hit him just two or three times on his buttocks. 48.     On 24 April 2003 the applicant contacted the investigating authority, willing to provide additional information. On the next day he was questioned and stated that in October-November 2002 he had heard from a former colleague of his, who in mid-August 2002 had visited a relative serving in the same military unit, that he had heard one of the officers saying that a serviceman matching Suren Muradyan’s description had recently died as a result of a beating by officer V.G. 49.     On 26 April 2003 both the former colleague and his relative serving in the military unit were questioned and confirmed this information but could not remember the name of the officer in question. On 4 October 2003 the former colleague’s relative was once again questioned and stated that the officer’s name was V.M. 50.     On 27 April 2003 several more persons were questioned, including military unit doctors S.G. and A.H., hospital doctor I.M., and an orderly of the hospital, H.G. 51.     Military unit doctor S.G. stated, inter alia , that a few months before, during a conversation with serviceman G.M., he had asked the latter to confirm the rumours that Suren Muradyan had been beaten by officers V.G. and D.H., to which serviceman G.M. replied that he was not aware of that. S.G. was further asked questions regarding the medical assistance provided to Suren Muradyan at the military unit. 52.     Military unit doctor A.H. claimed that he had also examined Suren   Muradyan once, including palpating his abdomen, but no abnormalities were found or bruises and injuries revealed. He was further asked to explain as to why he had refused to visit Suren Muradyan after being called by the latter’s fellow serviceman. 53.     Hospital doctor I.M. stated that it was he who had initially diagnosed Suren   Muradyan as having malaria, because of the symptoms and the fact that he was serving in a malaria hotbed. Suren Muradyan had not told him, except on the day he died, that he had been beaten or that he had fallen, and since there were no symptoms he did not put such questions to the patient. However, on the last day, when he rushed to provide medical aid to Suren   Muradyan, the latter, when asked what had happened, told him “I have pain in my belly, I feel very ill, I fell not long ago in the ward”. 54.     Hospital orderly H.G. stated that on 4 August 2002 at 7 p.m. Suren   Muradyan had told him that shortly before he had felt giddy and fallen down. About half an hour later he had called a doctor because Suren   Muradyan’s condition had worsened and then, after Suren Muradyan lost consciousness, he summoned the resuscitation specialist, who came and started resuscitation procedures. 3.     The court proceedings into the disjoined case (criminal case no.   91200703) 55.     On an unspecified date the court proceedings into the disjoined criminal case against officers V.G. and D.H. on account of insult commenced at the Syunik Regional Court of Armenia, sitting in Stepanakert (Nagorno Karabakh). It appears that officer V.G. pleaded guilty and admitted that he had sworn at and pushed Suren   Muradyan and pulled the watch off his wrist, but said that he had not hit him. 56.     On 5 May 2003 the Syunik Regional Court found officers V.G. and D.H. guilty as charged and sentenced them to one year’s imprisonment. 57.     On 2 June 2003 officer V.G. was released on parole. C.     Investigation by the Military Prosecutor’s Office of Armenia 1.     Investigative measures carried out by the Military Prosecutor’s Office of Armenia and other relevant developments 58.     On 10 July 2003 the investigation into Suren Muradyan’s death (criminal case no. 91204602) was taken over by the Military Prosecutor’s Office of Armenia and assigned to investigator H. 59.     On 12 September 2003 the applicant lodged a complaint with the Military Prosecutor’s Office of Armenia, claiming that the investigation was flawed and had failed to reveal those responsible for his son’s death, despite the fact that there was sufficient evidence that he had died as a result of ill ‑ treatment by the three officers, V.G., D.H. and K.Z. 60.     On 1 October 2003 military unit doctor A.H. was questioned again and confirmed his earlier statement (see paragraph 52 above). 61.     On 6 October 2003 serviceman G.M. was questioned again and added to his previous statements that on the day of their first visit to officer K.Z.’s office, K.Z. had hit him two or three times with a wooden pole on his buttocks when he was alone in his office. 62.     On 11 November 2003 a confrontation was held between serviceman K.E. and another serviceman, during which K.E. stated that on the day of their first visit to officer K.Z.’s office they had also gone to officer D.H.’s office where the latter had started screaming at them because of the stolen watch. Officer K.Z. also threatened to undress them in front of the entire battalion if they failed to find the second watch. 63.     On 5 December 2003 serviceman G.M. was questioned again and described in greater detail how officer K.Z. had taken a wooden pole from behind a safe, told him to lean against the wall and hit him three times on his buttocks. 64.     On 14 April 2004 officer V.G. was questioned and stated that he had not provided the full story in his previous testimony and that during the argument between him and Suren Muradyan on 21 July 2002 he had grabbed the latter’s left wrist with his right hand and started shaking it briskly, during which Suren Muradyan’s fist had touched the left side of his abdomen in the area of the spleen. Being very angry, he had not noticed whether Suren Muradyan’s facial expression had changed as a result of the blow, but he had not displayed any unusual movements or convulsions. Officer V.G. further denied hitting Suren Muradyan. 65.     On 19 April 2004 the investigator questioned two of the servicemen, A.P. and D.M., who had previously testified on 7 August 2002 and asked them to describe how officer V.G. had pulled on Suren Muradyan’s hand on 21 July 2002. According to A.P., officer V.G. had grabbed Suren   Muradyan’s left forearm, while according to D.M. – the left wrist, and had pulled forcefully. Suren Muradyan had tried unsuccessfully to free his arm. When he was pulling back his arm, officer V.G.’s hand was also being pulled back with it. Officer V.G. had then removed the watch with his other hand, while still holding on to Suren Muradyan with his right hand. 66.     On 2 August 2004 the applicant was questioned and stated that some days earlier he had bumped into a number of servicemen who had told him about the circumstances of Suren Muradyan’s murder and the identities of those who had ill-treated him. According to them, Suren Muradyan had told them that he had been summoned to the headquarters where he had been badly beaten by officers V.G., D.H. and K.Z., as a result of which he had lost consciousness and been taken back to the barracks by couriers. The applicant requested that these allegations be investigated. 67.     On 9 August 2004 the Military Prosecutor of Armenia addressed a letter to the Head of the National Security Service of Nagorno Karabakh, informing him of the applicant’s allegations and requesting that those circumstances be clarified. 68.     On 17 and 19 August 2004 the investigator questioned officers D.H. and V.G. respectively. Both denied the above allegations. Officer V.G. added that the only time that there had been any use of force in respect of Suren Muradyan was during the incident of 21 July 2002, when he had shaken Suren Muradyan’s hand briskly, during which his hand had touched Suren Muradyan’s abdomen. In reply to the investigator’s question as to why he had earlier stated that it had been Suren Muradyan’s hand that touched the abdomen while now he was stating that it had been his hand, officer V.G. stated that, since he was holding Suren Muradyan’s hand in his hand, both his and Suren Muradyan’s hands had touched the abdomen. 69.     On 2 September 2004 the investigator decided to assign an additional panel forensic medical examination and pose further questions to the medical experts, taking into account that it had been established that during the argument of 21 July 2002 officer V.G. had accidentally hit Suren Muradyan in the left side of the abdomen. It had been further established that on 4 August 2002 Suren Muradyan had fallen at the hospital, with his left hand under his belly. 70.     On 16 September 2004 forensic medical expert M.B. was questioned again. He stated that the sub-capsular rupture and the bruising to the soft tissues had been caused by direct contact with a blunt object. If, during that blow, officer V.G. had held in his hand the deceased’s forearm or part of his wrist, those parts must have touched the front wall of the deceased’s abdomen during the blow, while the injuries, namely the rupture and the bruising to the soft tissues of the abdominal area, were caused by direct contact with officer V.G.’s fist; contact between the deceased’s wrist or forearm with that area could not have caused the sub-capsular rupture. If the deceased’s wrist or forearm or fist touched the abdomen, then officer V.G.’s fist must have undoubtedly touched the front wall of the abdomen. 71.     On 12 October 2004 the panel of experts produced their opinion in reply to the questions posed by the investigator’s decision of 2 September 2004. As regards the responsibility of the military unit and the hospital doctors, the experts found that they had failed to reach a timely and accurate diagnosis and to provide adequate medical treatment. The opinion further included, inter alia , the following questions and answers: (1)     Question: what impact could the blow sustained by Suren Muradyan during the argument of 21 July 2002 have had on his health? Could it have caused spleen rupture, internal bruising and subsequently death? Answer: as a result of the blow sustained during the argument of 21 July 2002, Suren   Muradyan sustained bruises to muscles and a sub-capsular rupture of his spleen which later led to his death. (2)     Question: was he ill with malaria on 21 July 2002 and why were no malaria agents found in his blood sample at the military hospital, if three ‑ day-old malaria agents were found in the same sample following a later test? Answer: on 21 July 2002 Suren Muradyan was suffering from malaria. (3)     Question: what impact would the above-mentioned blow have had on his health if he had not been ill with malaria? Answer: depending on the strength, location and nature of the blow, it was possible not to sustain a sub-capsular rupture, but even a light blow could cause spleen rupture to an unhealthy and deformed spleen. (4)     Question: could he have sustained bruises to soft tissues in the area of the left side of his abdomen by falling at the hospital on 4 August 2002? Answer: the new bruising to soft tissues in the area of the left side of Suren   Muradyan’s abdomen could have been caused by his fall at the hospital. (5)     Question: exactly when did his spleen rupture occur, and would his life have been unequivocally saved, if diagnosis had been made in a timely manner? Answer: the sub-capsular rupture of Suren Muradyan’s spleen occurred on 21 July 2002, while the second rupture occurred on 4 August 2002 at 7.10 p.m., as a result of which he most likely lost consciousness and fell down. Had the internal bleeding been diagnosed in a timely manner, it might have been possible to save Suren Muradyan’s life. 72.     On 21 October 2004 forensic medical expert K.H., who had contributed to the opinions of 6 November and 11 December 2002 and 12   October 2004, was questioned. Asked about the discrepancies between the findings in those opinions, expert K.H. stated that it must have been an automatic mistake and admitted that she had not read one of the opinions before signing it. She further stated that the reason why no trace of malaria had been discovered at the Mekhakavan hospital could have been due to lack of proper equipment. She lastly stated that an enlarged spleen in a person suffering from malaria would become hard and filled with blood, the capsule would be strained and become more sensitive. Even a light blow might cause a sub-capsular rupture. 73.     On 4 November 2004 hospital doctor I.M. was questioned and added to his previous statement that the pain upon palpation of Suren Muradyan’s abdomen made him suspect that it was connected with malaria. In reply to the investigator’s question as to why he had not administered anti-malaria treatment if he had been convinced of that diagnosis, I.M. replied that he had had to wait for the result of the parasitological test. Furthermore, often an initial negative result of such test did not mean that a patient had no malaria and this could be confirmed only after a third negative result. 74.     On 5 November 2004 the forensic medical expert who had presided over the panel which had produced the opinion of 12 October 2004 was questioned and confirmed the responsibility of both the military unit and the hospital doctors. 75.     On the same date the Head of the National Security Service of Nagorno Karabakh sent a letter, marked “secret”, to the Military Prosecutor of Armenia. The relevant parts of the letter read as follows: “ To your [letter] of 9 August 2004: ... The following has been disclosed as a result of the activities aimed at revealing the circumstances, which are of interest, concerning the death on 4 August 2002 of private [Suren Muradyan], a compulsory military serviceman of military unit no. 59703. For the purpose of clarifying the names of those servicemen who, after the well ‑ known beating of [Suren Muradyan], accompanied him to the barracks or were eyewitnesses, a list of staff of the military unit’s music squad, who have been demobilised and are Armenian nationals, was retrieved. At present only the deputy commander of the military unit, [officer K.Z.] (since the incident he has become uncommunicative and avoids discussing this matter even with his close relatives), continues to serve in the said military unit, while [officer D.H.] has possibly moved to [another] military unit, while [officer V.G.] has been demobilised .” 76 .     On 15 November 2004 the Minister of Defence of Nagorno Karabakh filed a motion with the Military Prosecutor of Armenia, asking for officer K.