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Armenian inmate denied anti-drug treatment
TERT.AM
16:14 - 08.12.12
An Armenian inmate serving time at the Nubarashen penitentiary
complains that his continuous request for an anti-drug treatment meet
the prison authorities' rejection.
In a phone conversation with Tert.am, the convict, Arthur Smbatyan,
said it is already 6-7 months he has been asking the prison
administration to enroll him in a Metadon treatment program.
`It isn't as though the program had been approved by the National
Assembly. There's nothing illegal about my request,' he said, adding
that doctors consider him a registered patient since 2008.
A patient enrolled in the Methadone replacement therapy is obliged,
throughout the treatment, to avoid using a narcotic or psychotropic
drug without the doctor's prescription.
Smbatyan says he has been in prison since October 28, 2008. Initially
sentenced for two years and six month, he was later convicted four
times over drug addiction charges.
`First they imposed an administrative fine and then prolonged my
sentence for six months. The third time they recalled my sentence and
convicted again. The fourth time I was caught here over a drug case,'
he said.
Arthur's family gave him up after the last sentence. The inmate, who
has sewn his mouth shut after declaring a hunger-strike, says his wife
won't event answer his calls. He is now confined in a lock-up but will
be transferred to a hunger-strike cell on Sunday.
Arthur says he made two suicide attempts, first by hanging himself and
the second time - by piercing his belly with a broken piece of glass.
`They are torturing me to death; I am forced to do that,' he told our
correspondent.
Speaking to Tert.am, a spokesperson for the Penitentiary Department,
Gor Ghlechyan, said the prisons have nothing to do with the Metadon
program.
`That's a commission which decides whether or not to enroll a person,
regardless of being a convict,' he said, ruling out any intervention
by prison administrations.
`[The convict] writes the request which we send to the commission,' he
explained.
Ghlechyan promised to make additional comments on Monday.
TERT.AM
16:14 - 08.12.12
An Armenian inmate serving time at the Nubarashen penitentiary
complains that his continuous request for an anti-drug treatment meet
the prison authorities' rejection.
In a phone conversation with Tert.am, the convict, Arthur Smbatyan,
said it is already 6-7 months he has been asking the prison
administration to enroll him in a Metadon treatment program.
`It isn't as though the program had been approved by the National
Assembly. There's nothing illegal about my request,' he said, adding
that doctors consider him a registered patient since 2008.
A patient enrolled in the Methadone replacement therapy is obliged,
throughout the treatment, to avoid using a narcotic or psychotropic
drug without the doctor's prescription.
Smbatyan says he has been in prison since October 28, 2008. Initially
sentenced for two years and six month, he was later convicted four
times over drug addiction charges.
`First they imposed an administrative fine and then prolonged my
sentence for six months. The third time they recalled my sentence and
convicted again. The fourth time I was caught here over a drug case,'
he said.
Arthur's family gave him up after the last sentence. The inmate, who
has sewn his mouth shut after declaring a hunger-strike, says his wife
won't event answer his calls. He is now confined in a lock-up but will
be transferred to a hunger-strike cell on Sunday.
Arthur says he made two suicide attempts, first by hanging himself and
the second time - by piercing his belly with a broken piece of glass.
`They are torturing me to death; I am forced to do that,' he told our
correspondent.
Speaking to Tert.am, a spokesperson for the Penitentiary Department,
Gor Ghlechyan, said the prisons have nothing to do with the Metadon
program.
`That's a commission which decides whether or not to enroll a person,
regardless of being a convict,' he said, ruling out any intervention
by prison administrations.
`[The convict] writes the request which we send to the commission,' he
explained.
Ghlechyan promised to make additional comments on Monday.