Armenian Ombudsman highlights problems in prisons

In the course of the today's hearings, held at the National Assembly on the human rights situation in the penitentiary institutions, Ombudsman Karen Andreasyan pointed out a number of serious problems in the legal sphere and to problems of domestic nature in prisons. This was reported by "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"The other day, I met prisoners who had earlier sewed their mouths and eyes. And, although prison administrations claim that those steps virtually represent blackmail, I ask the question, why do people make that step? They do that to draw attention to their problems. And the big problem is not only all that is connected with justice or human rights in prisons, but everything related to domestic conditions," Karen Andreasyan stated.

He drew particular attention to the problem of congestion in Armenian prisons.

"We have seen 20 prisoners in a prison cell, designed for 8 persons. Many of them complained about the lack of normal conditions. People asked to provide them with adequate food and fresh medications, since the medications at penitentiary institutions were usually with expired term of storage," the Ombudsman said.

Grair Tovmasyan, Minister of Justice, who delivered his speech during the hearings, stated that actions of some prisoners, who sewed their mouths or eyes, were aimed at attracting the attention of the administration to them.

"Self-injury has a long history. This phenomenon is not unique to Armenia. The primary purpose of those actions is to draw attention of the prison administration to their cases, to express their dissatisfaction with the verdict or demonstrate dissatisfaction with the prison administration, to demand from it any benefit or even pretend to be sick. We do not encourage such claims, since in this case, the situation in the penitentiary institutions would be literally out of control," the Minister said. And he continued: "Under my instructions, administrations of penitentiary institutions will not meet demands of prisoners, who sewed their mouths or committed other drastic actions."

However, Grair Tovmasyan has stated that the above does not mean that the Ministry of Justice or prison administrations ignore specific problems.

Mikael Danielyan, a human rights defender, has told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that congestion in prisons leads to great psychological problems and increases health problems: "Prison 'Nubarashen' has not enough bunks, 20 prisoners instead of 8 are kept in a cell, and they have to sleep in turn: some of them sleep at night, and the others at daylight."

Avetik Ishkhanyan, a human rights defender, described conditions in Armenian prisons as extremely severe and inhuman. According to him, penitentiary institutions "Nubarashen", "Erebuni" and "Vardashen" created living conditions that degraded human dignity.