Close the Prisons at Weekends

Artur Sakunts, head of Public Monitoring Group at Detention Facilities of RA Ministry of Justice, by referring to detainee at “Artik” Penitentiary, Nikol Pashinyan’s right to correspondence with the outside world via letters and sending out letters via Detention Facility staff, today stated that Public Monitoring Group had studied the issue of correspondence with the outside world via letters and sending out letters and reached a conclusion that the right of the detainee to correspondence and presenting petitions on the violations of his rights are roughly violated.

Thus, on January 9 of 2011, during the visit to “Artik” Penitentiary, the Public Monitoring Group found out that Nikol Pashinyan had addressed at least 10 sealed letters in envelopes to the “Haykakan Zhamanak” editorial office, none of which were sent out but instead retained by the “Artik” Penitentiary Facility staff.

The Public Monitoring Group members saw “Artik” Penitentiary Facility staff receive and register Nikol Pashinyan’s letters. After this, the letters were received by the “Haykakan Zhamanak” editorial office and published in 5 days. However, after this incident, the Monitoring Group continued to get numerous red flags that “Artik” Penitentiary Staff refused to accept Nikol Pashinyan’s letters. The Public Monitoring Group visited and found out that “Artik” Penitentiary Staff refused to deliver 5 letters in envelopes. The public monitoring group members suggested that the Penitentiary day shift receive and register letters in the relevant ledger. However, when the penitentiary representatives went after the ledger they returned without the ledger claiming that it was locked in a fireproof case so it would be impossible to take and register the letter at that point. Artur Sakunts tried to contact the RA Justice Minister in person, but this attempt failed because the secretary didn’t put him through explaining he was busy or was out.

“Yesterday the Criminal Executive Department reported in its dissemination that Nikol Pashinyan had presented 9 letters within January and during their visit on January 9 one of the letters was already sent out, while the remaining 8 were received at the presence of Thomas Hammarberg, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights. This testifies that Nikol Pashinyan’s letters are received by the Penitentiary staff either at the presence of Public Monitoring Group members or Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights”, stated Artur Sakunts.

By referring to the press release disseminated yesterday by the Criminal Executive Department of RA Ministry of Justice, which stated that the issue was being politicized, Edmon Marukyan, Public Monitoring Group member, noted, “We estimate such responses more at political rather than legal level, thus, replies are disguised under political announcements”.
As Artur Sakunts claims, Criminal Executive Department of RA Ministry of Justice is obviously engaged is disseminating misinformation (mildly put) and trying to politicize the legal issue (illegality of penitentiary) with ungrounded explanation that prisons don’t work at weekends.

“I suggest closing the prisons in case the staff doesn’t work at weekends, let them and the detainees go home and again reunite on Monday to continue the work, it is totally absurd”, noted Sakunts.

Besides, he stated that after their visit to the Penitentiary, a search was conducted in the detainee’s isolation cell by the staff, who wanted to find out if the monitoring group had passed something. According to Sakunts, this is obviously a raunchy working style by which they try to cast a shadow over the activity of the Public Monitoring Group.

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