In Armenia, detainees or arrested persons to be allowed to  participate in court proceedings remotely

ArmInfo.  In Armenia, detainees or arrested persons will be able to participate in court proceedings remotely. At its May 18 meeting, the RA National Assembly Committee on State and Legal Affairs issued a positive opinion on amendments to the Criminal Code and a package of related documents submitted by the RA government.

Presenting the amendments, RA Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs  Armen Ghazaryan noted that participation in hearings in this format  may occur either at the request of the accused or by court order. The  purpose of the package is to improve public order, protect the  fundamental rights and freedoms of trial participants, ensure  security, prevent crime, and ensure that cases are heard in court  within a reasonable time. A similar mechanism, as the Deputy Minister  noted, was used during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, a decision has  been made to institutionalize this practice. The document was drafted  taking into account the experience of the ECHR, which also  recommended its application in a number of cases.

According to the proposed amendments, the accused will have the right  not only to participate in court proceedings remotely but also to  communicate with their lawyer. If the conditions stipulated by law  are not met, court proceedings will continue as usual.