Epress.am News from Armenia
In 2013, the Yerevan-based Helsinki Association for Human Rights received around three dozen letters from prisoners in Armenian prisons, the majority of which related to parole. Prisoners also complained about the lack of adequate medical services.
There are prisoners who were intimidated and tortured by police to confess to the crime of which they're accused. They ask the human rights organization for help to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights and to send an observer to record the procedural violations that occurred during their trial.
Excerpts from some of the letters are presented below.
Norik Margaryan, Nubarashen Penitentiary
"I said that I stole a pig, but I'm not aware of other thefts, but Paylak began to hit me. I, fearing for my health, because I have small children at home (a 4 and a 5.5 year-old) and I have to support them, I wrote my testimony as dictated by the oper[ator] and the investigator. They kept me in the 'monkey cage' the entire night. In the morning my wife came and saw me beaten up, then they took me to the medical examiner; the investigator told me to tell the doctor I got these bruises at home, and that's what I did.
"Now I'm on hunger strike. I wrote a complaint to the General Prosecutor three months ago. I got the answer, that the investigator for special affairs had written that I'm lying. I had sent them a disc on which it clearly shows that at the division I have no injury on my face. The investigator forged the documents, that supposedly I was caught [already] beaten up and he didn't consider any facts."
Tavros Voskanyan, Nubarashen Penitentiary
"I want to say with full responsibility that the metal rods have long been in my stomach, are not coming out through natural means, and I have constant severe pain; I can't eat normally; my weight has dropped from 59 kg to 54 kg; I've acquired a chronic digestive disorder. Let me note that I've written to the court investigating my case about all of this, saying that I'm ill and for this reason I can't participate in the trials and especially to defend myself, since I can't concentrate because of the pain. Please help me and intervene, so that they move me to the Hospital for Detainees for in-patient treatment."
Armen Kabalyan, Nubarashen Penitentiary
"On Oct. 1, 2013, with the criminal case launched against me in the past, which likewise was repeatedly postponed, I was sentenced to 9 years in prison, not taking into account the important and existing circumstances, which are tied to the preliminary investigation bodies — with the records forged by the investigator and replacing the physical evidence of the knife with another knife. I submitted a petition on this matter, to appoint an examination of the handwriting and call an expert, but the court refused, saying I appeal to the Special Investigative Service. I did appeal to the SIS and the General Prosecutor, presenting even the forged documents. I got an answer: 'We haven't received such a decision from the court. For this reason, the appeal is being sent to the court'."
Armen Ghazaryan, Vanadzor Penitentiary
"I'm informing [you] about the continued iniquity against me — all my rights have been violated, violated were all the norms of the constitutional convention, and most importantly, the status of my family was not taken into account.
"I have an elderly mother, a wife who has no permanent employment, and a daughter who is 2 years and 4 months old. My father died and the care of my family was left to me. They sentenced me to 10 years' imprisonment for another's deeds […] Since I place my dignity and respect above all else, for this reason I said, let me take [the blame] for another's deeds, and I noted that they be easy cases so that there won't be many civil suits — they promised me that's how it would be. It turned out to be the contrary — there are currently two civil suit against me, the amount of which totals 10 million, and no one pays attention to this fact."