Man Charged With Smuggling Opium into Prison, Investigator Disregards Testimony Admitting Guilt

Sisian resident Artur Manucharyan was charged with transferring an opium-based drug to his son, Mushegh Manucharyan, while visiting him at “Goris” penitentiary. 

Artur Manucharyan does not accept the charge against him and the investigative body refuses to overturn their decision of keeping him in custody. According to the Helsinki Association human rights organization site, both Manucharyans, father and son, are currently held at “Goris” penitentiary.

“We ask them to at least release him on his own recognizance, my father’s health is very bad, before visiting my brother he had medical checkups in order to undergo surgery,”said Artur Manucharyan’s other son, Armenak Manucharyan, when speaking to the Helsinki Association.

“It is known to everyone that all those who visit their relatives in prisons are examined before the visit, and those exams revealed no forbidden items. Prison visits are held in rooms with cameras, which were for some reason turned off at that time, and Artur Manucharyan was charged only based on the testimony of the Goris prison employee, who noted that she assumed from Artur Manucharyan's hand movement that he was transferring drugs to his son,” writes the Helsinki Association.

After the criminal case was initiated another relative of Mushegh Manucharyan, Hrahat Manucharyan, approached the Goris Investigation department and gave a testimony confessing that he had placed the restricted drug in Mushegh Manucharyan's pocket during an eariler visit. However, the investigator Smbat Baluyan did not process the testimony and did not conduct any measure in order to clarify the latter situation.

The Manucharyans, father and son, conducted a 7-day hunger strike at the penitentiary protesting the illegal operations of the investigator and prison staff, however, they stopped the strike after realizing their actions were not effective.