They sleep in turns
Prisoners in penitentiaries sleep in turns. This is what Head of the Helsinki Civil Assembly Vanadzor Office, president of the Public Observatory Group Artur Sakunts announced today as he presented the results of the group's report.
"There are 18, even 20 prisoners in a cell designed for eight prisoners," said Sakunts, recalling that the norm for a prison cell is 4 square meters according to RA legislation.
In 2009, penitentiaries registered 7 deaths and 35 in 2010.
"I call on all prisoners to sue state organizations for inhumane treatment," said Artur Sakunts.
Sakunts also touched upon the lack of medical assistance to the prisoners and brought up the death of prisoner Slavik Voskanyan, who died at the penitentiary in Vanadzor due to lack of proper medical assistance.
However, Head of the Public Relations Division of the Penitentiary Department at the RA Ministry of Justice, Arsen Babayan said there was still an investigation being led into Slavik Voskanyan's death and that the reason for his death was still unclear.
Arsen Babayan also affirmed that there was an overload of prisoners at the penitentiaries, but said that everything was exaggerated and that the data of one penitentiary couldn't refer to the rest.
Babayan added that the amnesty would reduce the number of prisoners by half and that a new penitentiary would be built in Armavir this year due to funding.
There are currently 5,100 prisoners in Armenia of which 140 are women, 17 are minors and 3 are children who were born in the penitentiaries.
