When a family member is arrested in Armenia, the family can do much in the first hours: find where he is held, get him a lawyer of his choice and collect documents for the court. The arrested person is in custody and cannot do this himself. The rights he has now are on the page arrested in Armenia: what to do.
How to find where your relative is held
- After an arrest, a person is usually taken to a police station or to the investigative body that handles the case.
- An arrested person has the right to have a relative informed. If someone called you, write down who called, from which office and the name of the investigator.
- If nobody called, ask at the police station of the district where he was arrested. Give his full name and date of birth.
- Call an advocate. He can make the inquiries for you and go to the place where your relative is held.
What to collect and bring
Within 72 hours of the arrest, your relative must be released or brought before a court, which decides on detention. The defense needs documents that show the person has a home, a family and a job and will not hide. Collect:
- his passport or ID card, or a copy;
- documents on his place of residence;
- marriage certificate and birth certificates of children;
- a letter from his employer or place of study;
- medical documents if he has an illness, and the list of medicines he takes, with prescriptions;
- documents on property or income if the defense will ask for bail.
Give the documents to the advocate. They help the defense ask the court for bail or another measure instead of detention. Read more on detention and how to challenge it.
Ask the advocate before you bring clothes, food or medicines to the place of detention. Each place has its own rules for parcels.
How to hire an advocate for your relative
The detained person has the right to a lawyer of his choice. The family can find and hire the advocate for him:
- Call the advocate and describe the situation.
- Sign the agreement with the advocate for the defense of your relative.
- The advocate goes to the place where your relative is held and meets him in private.
- Your relative confirms that he accepts this advocate.
If the state has already appointed a lawyer, your relative can still choose his own advocate.
What not to do when a family member is arrested
- Do not contact the victim or the witnesses, and do not ask other people to do it.
- Do not give money to anyone who promises to solve the case through acquaintances. This can make the situation worse and lead to a new criminal case.
- Do not post about the case on social networks.
- Do not delete messages or files, and do not hide or destroy items or documents.
- Do not discuss the details of the case by phone or in messengers.
How advocate Marukyan helps the family
Advocate Mnatsakan Marukyan practices criminal defense only. When a relative is detained, he:
- finds out where your relative is held and which body handles the case;
- goes there and meets him in private;
- is present at questioning and checks the grounds of the arrest;
- tells the family which documents the court needs;
- prepares the defense for the court hearing on detention;
- keeps the family informed at each step.
He works in Armenian, Russian and English. This helps when your relative or your family comes from another country: see defense of foreign nationals. The first consultation is free.
Call +374 91 403961, or write on WhatsApp or Telegram. Advocate Marukyan is available 24/7 for arrests and searches.