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Joint meeting of Russian, Belarusan and Armenian Boards of Investigative Committees takes place in Saint-Petersburg

The first joined meeting of Russia, Armenian and Belarusan Boards of Investigative Committees has taken place in TauridePalace in Saint-Petersburg. The Chairmen of Committees Alexander Bastrykin, Agvan Ovsepyan, Ivan Noskevich, the Chairman of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation Valeriy Zorkin, the Governor of Saint Peterburg Georgiy Poltavchenko, the General Secretary of the Interparliamentary Assembly of Member Nations of the Commonwealth of Independent States Aleksei Sergeyev, employees of investigative committees and other invited persons took part in the meeting.

Legislation of Russia, Armenia and Belarus in the field of legal and international cooperation, referring and fulfillment of legal assistance requests, police cooperation requests and improvement of cooperation in that field, as well as cooperation in scientific and educational field were discussed during the meeting.

The Chairman of the Russian Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin in his speech pointed out importance of trilateral cooperation based on Joint declaration of cooperation of Armenian, Belarusan and Russian Investigative Committees and joint actions on counteraction to crime, increase in speed and quality of case investigations. The Chairman of the Russian Investigative Committee also underlined that “since the Russian Investigative Committee was established a lot of efforts were done to strengthen international and legal cooperation in the field of criminal legal proceedings. These efforts resulted into developed legal cooperation with competent agencies of foreign countries. As of today, the Russian Investigative Committee is a competent agency, responsible for implementation of 63 interstate and intergovernmental agreements.  The Russian Investigative Committee signed 17 international interdepartmental agreements with foreign competent agencies, which consolidate basic forms of cooperation between parties, including data exchange that can be instrumental in preventing, revealing and investigation of crimes”.

Cooperation of the Russian Investigative Committee with Armenian and Belarusan Investigative Committees lasts several years already. The Belarusan and Russian Investigative Committees has signed several agreements and cooperation program on 2016-2018 is in act. This program provides close cooperation in experience and data exchange in criminalistics divisions, as well as divisions involved into media relations. Additionally, the MoscowAcademy of the Russian Investigative Committee provides vocational education for employees of foreign competent agencies. Effective cooperation was also established in scientific field – foreign colleagues take part in the international scientific conferences organized by the Investigative Committee.

Cooperation also applied to investigation of criminal cases. For example, after private Permyakov, who committed especially major crime in Armenia, was convicted in accordance with Russian legislation for a war crime, the criminal case against him was referred to compentent agencies of Armenia in accordance with Agreement of the Russian Federation and the Armenian Republic in jurisdiction and mutual legal assistance in affairs, concerning Russian military base from 29 July 1997. The court of Armenia convicted private Permyakov to lifetime sentence.

The Chairmen of the Belarusan and Armenian Investigative Committees also presented their speeches during the meeting.

Ivan Noskevich mentioned that modern threats, such as international crime, gradually dissolved borders between international, national and public safety and in connection with that “agenda includes search for efficient supranational strategies for provision of safety, which are based on new models of cooperation between states, adequate forms and approaches to international cooperation, close cooperation of national systems for counteraction to appearing threats”. The Chairman of the Belarusan Investigative Committee expressed confidence that “reserves for cooperation improved are not yet depleted and lie in creation of efficient mechanism for cooperation of investigators and their superiors on the regional level”. Ivan Noskevich also thanked the Chairman of the Russian Investigative Committee for personal contribution in the interdepartmental cooperation.

Agvan Osvepyan in his speech noted that “creation of separate investigative agencies in our country is a major condition for independent pre-court investigation. We as superiors must provide self-sufficiency and independence of investigators. Peoples’ fate depends on professionalism and personal qualities of senior staff of investigative agencies”. Agvan Osvepyan expressed gratitude to Alexander Bastrykin for interdepartmental cooperation.

Alexander Bastrykin handed Ivan Noskevich and Agvan Osvepyan Medals for Loyalty to Duty, Medal for Strengthening of International Cooperation to Georgy Poltavchenko, Valeriy Zorkin and Alexei Sergeyev. Agvan Ovsepyan awarded Alexander Bastrykin and Ivan Noskevich with Honored Investigators badge in turn. Alexei Sergeyev handed Alexander Bastrykin medal of the Interparliamentary Assembly of Member Nations of the Commonwealth of Independent States for Strengthening of Parliamentary Cooperation. 

Official spokesperson for the RF Investigative Committee S.L. Petrenko