Opinions & Interviews

GOMEL, 17 May (BelTA) – Joint work of the investigative committees of Armenia, Belarus and Russia is aimed to combat transnational crime, Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Belarus Ivan Noskevich told reporters following the third joint session of the boards of the investigative committees of Armenia, Belarus and Russia that took place in Gomel on 17 May, BelTA has learnt.

Ivan Noskevich noted that joint sessions of the boards of the investigative committees of the three countries is a traditional form of cooperation that has been in place for over a year already. “We are glad that amidst globalization and all kinds of disintegrating processes, the investigative committees of our friendly nations find ways to stay united. Our strength is in unity and in joint response to crime, first of all, transnational crime,” Ivan Noskevich said.

He underlined that every event of this kind is of practical importance, because it addresses topical issues. In fact, after the first session of the boards in Saint Petersburg, an agreement was reached to set up joint operations and investigations groups on the territory of the CIS member states. After the second meeting held in Yerevan, the parties cemented their cooperation within the framework of the 1993 Convention on Legal Aid and Legal Relations in Civil, Family and Criminal Cases.

Among the results of joint activities are successfully solved cases. Ivan Noskevich cited a criminal case against a man who had committed violent crimes in Russia and Belarus for 18 years. After a joint search operation and successful completion of the investigation, the man was criminally charged on the territory of Belarus. Teamwork also helped investigate transnational crimes related to illegal drugs trade. A group of citizens of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine dealt in psychotropic drugs for several years. Thanks to the teamwork and professionalism of investigators, the criminals were exposed.

The importance of international engagement was underlined by Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia Alexander Bastrykin. He noted that the investigative committees of the three countries established very efficient cooperation, while the agreements in scientific and educational activities add an impetus to joint work.

Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Armenia Aghvan Hovsepyan emphasized that the interaction between the investigative bodies of the three states helps harmonize procedures and practices, speed up investigation of criminal cases and make war on crime more efficient, thus creating better conditions to protect human rights.

The participants of the meeting discussed ways to optimize criminal procedure and the work of investigative bodies, as well as direct interaction of regional branches of the Belarusian and Russian investigative authorities within the framework of the Convention on Legal Aid and Legal Relations in Civil, Family and Criminal Cases as of 22 January 1993 taking into account the amendments introduced into the legislation. The parties underlined the importance of using video conference tools to interrogate parties to a criminal process and the importance of introducing electronic criminal cases.

The parties signed a number of documents. The investigative committees of Belarus and Russia signed a cooperation program in forensic examinations during preliminary investigations for the period of 2018-2021. Armenia and Russia signed a cooperation program in scientific and educational activities for 2018-2019. The three parties adopted a joint statement emphasizing the need to improve the work of preliminary investigation bodies.