43 EXTRA DETAINEES AT "VARDASHEN"

A1+
[04:47 pm] 19 February, 2009

With the assignment of the RA Ombudsman, Ombudsman’s office officials
paid a visit to the RA Justice Ministry’s "Nubarashen" penitentiary
and met with prisoners M. H., V. S. and also visited the "Vardashen"
penitentiary to meet with prisoners and investigate the conditions.

Prisoner of the RA Justice Ministry’s "Nubarashen" penitentiary
M. H. had already ended his hunger strike at the start of the visit.

M. H. informed Ombudsman’s officials that he has been at the
penitentiary for five months and he has never left the building, has
not ate breakfast for two months and his food is less than usual. He
also said that he is in poor health conditions. The officials met with
the penitentiary’s doctor Hrant Muradyan who informed that the prisoner
is diagnosed with heart illness and is receiving the needed medicine.

Another prisoner V.A. who had declared a hunger strike at the
"Nubarashen" penitentiary also ended his hunger strike when the
officials stopped by.

V.A. informed officials that he has no complaints against the
penitentiary and had declared a hunger strike because they had
sentenced him from a period of a year and a half for committing an
act foreseen by the 1st part of article 362 of the RA Criminal Code
without taking into account the motives for that. He also said that
he has no demands.

During the visit to the RA Justice Ministry’s "Vardashen" penitentiary
the Ombudsman’s representatives studied the conditions of the doctor’s
room, the kitchen, laundry home, library and the cells.

The doctor’s room was equipped with the necessary equipment, medicine
and there was a dentist’s office as well. In general, the conditions
of the kitchen and laundry room were satisfactory.

The Ombudsman’s representatives expressed serious concern about the
fact that there are 67 detainees and 130 sentenced prisoners instead
of the foreseen 154, meaning that there are 43 more people and as a
result, there are more prisoners in a number of cells. Officials say
that they were forced to turn the hospital rooms into cells.

After studying the general conditions, the officials met with the
people who wanted to visit the detainees and sentenced. Sentenced
prisoner, Russian citizen R.V. told officials that the preliminary
and current investigation officials have violated his judicial and
material rights. He also said that he has not been able to contact
his wife and son living in Russia for the past three weeks. He asked
the officials to call them and tell them about him.

Detainee S. H. informed that his right to create is being violated
because police officers are not giving him his laptop computer.

Detainee V.T. asked for the copies of the RA laws on "Ombudsman" and
"State and Service confidentiality".

Detainee A. H. said that he was subjected to a cruel beating on 2008
August 21 at the moment of his arrest and at the Lori Marz department
of the RA Police, but his protests have remained unanswered. He also
informed that he suffers from diabetes. Head of the medical service
of the penitentiary Manucharyan informed officials that the RA Justice
Ministry’s penitentiary department has appealed to the RA Ministry of
Healthcare to provide the detainee with necessary medical treatment
within the framework of the order.

After having separate talks with all detainees and sentenced, the
officials registered that the majority of them have not expressed
complaints and most of the complaints refer to the disproportions of
charges and period for penalties, according to the press release of
the Ombudsman’s office.