Deputy Ombudsman: “The complaint of lifers is justified” (video)
55 lifers of Nubarashen penitentiary institution continue their hunger strike with the demand to review their criminal cases. “Only in 2014 eight mediations were examined, seven of them were postponed, it means their discussion was neither refused nor had positive conclusion, and only one was refused,” says Deputy Ombudsman Yeranuhi Tumanyants. Irrespective of the fact that several dozen of lifers have served their sentence for more than 20 years, their applications to be released on parole or to replace the rest of their punishment with milder sentence haven’t been upheld by the independent committee. According to the Deputy Ombudsman, the Committee shows differentiated approach towards the lifers. “There are about 40-41 lifers, who were sentenced for one murder. 25-26 of them were sentenced for one murder for the first time. Experts from other countries are always surprised that a person can be sentenced to life imprisonment for only one murder.” During her communication with the prisoners Yeranuhi Tumanyants has found out another problem in the work of the independent committee. “The person, who has been refused, doesn’t know the reason for his refusal, as he works in the penitentiary institution, he has no problems, he has been encouraged, but the independent committee refuses him.” She thinks especially the current legislation is unfavorable for the rehabilitation of a prisoner. “When the prisoners see that their applications to be released on parole are refused, there is no positive result, they don’t take concrete steps for rehabilitation anymore.” The Office of Human Rights Defender has been raising these issues since 2012, but the officials’ promises for the necessity of changes don’t become reality. “There is a project connected with the degree of isolation, which has been at the National Assembly for about 1-1.5 years and hasn’t been discussed yet,” adds the Deputy Ombudsman. According to the official data, there are 104 lifers in the Armenian penitentiary institutions. No criminal case has been reviewed until today.
