Criminal case opened over Byureghavan school financial irregularities

A criminal case was opened under the Criminal Code’s Article 179 part 2 (embezzlement) over financial irregularities at Byureghavan boarding school, according to Armenia’s Judicial Information System.

The Office of Armenian Human Rights Defender issued yesterday a statement about the cruel treatment of children at the boarding school. The statement says in particular:

“Teachers of the Byureghavan boarding school made pupils stand in class as punishment. Watching through a half-open door, the representatives of the Ombudsman saw a teacher hitting a pupil on the fingers with his pen and using abusive language. The schoolchildren are afraid of management and do no contact them in case of a conflict with each other. Food safety violations were also revealed.

These cases were revealed by the Ombudsman’s National Mechanism for the Prevention of Violence set up to prevent possible cases of torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment”.