In Armenia, prisoners suspend their hunger strike

In Armenia, prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment have suspended their protest action while they are waiting for response from the presidential administration to the letters with the requests for reviews of their criminal cases.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on October 12, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) of Armenia announced that 45 prisoners serving their life sentences declared a hunger strike and demanded to review their criminal cases. On October 14, the protesters declared an indefinite hunger strike. As on October 15, the number of the hunger-strikers increased from 50 to 57 people. Today, Gor Glechyan, Chief of the Press Service of the Criminal-Executive Department of the Armenian MoJ, has announced the termination of the prisoners' hunger strike.

The fact that the prisoners have only suspended their hunger strike was reported by Zarui Medjlumyan, Chair of the NGO "Armenian Innocence Project".

According to her, the prisoners are waiting for the response from the presidential administration to their written requirements. In case if no response is received until October 22, the protest action will be continued.

"The protest action will be resumed. The prisoners will continue their hunger strike in the Nubarashen prison, and their family members will continue to struggle until they achieve concrete changes," stated a relative of one of the prisoners.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.