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HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER: "BEING AWARE OF THEIR OWN MISTAKES THE JUDICIAL AUTHORITIES AVOID REVISION OF LIFE PRISONERS' CASES"
arminfo
Monday, June 11, 17:40
The Armenian authorities are indifferent to the fate of life prisoners,
Avetik Ishkhanyan, Head of the Helsinki Committee Armenia, told
media when commenting on the fate of a life prisoner Mher Yenokyan
on June 11.
To recall, Mher Yenokyan, born in a family of physicians, got death
penalty in 1996 charged with murder of his fellow-student. Later in
2003 his sentence was changed and he got life imprisonment.
Ishkhanyan said that Yenokyan has been insisting on his innocence
for 16 years. Another defendant Aram Haroutiunyan was sentenced to
15 years in prison but he confessed that he had murdered Yenokyan's
fellow-student.
"Despite new circumstances proving Yenokyan's innocence, the judicial
authorities of Armenia do not want to revise the case," Ishkanyan said.
Yenokyan's lawyers say that he was sentenced without any significant
facts. Yenokyan has announced a hunger strike and refuses even from
water, Ishkanyan said.
For her part, Zaruhi Muradyan, a member of the civil initiative,
said that art workers and intellectuals constantly raise the issue
of life prisoners in Armenia.
"There are 103 life prisoners in Armenia having population of 3 million
people, while in Austria with population of 120 million people there
are only 57 life prisoners," she said.
Despite many letters to relevant authorities and the Prosecutor
General's Office for revision of the life imprisonment cases, no
case has been revised yet, she said. There is no institute to revise
judicial cases in Armenia and there is no precedent of revision of
a life imprisonment case.
"As for Mher Yenokyan, his case is unique. Even in custody, Mher helps
people. He published a book entitled 'I talk to you, man' and provides
the proceeds from the sale to the dead-sick children," she said.
arminfo
Monday, June 11, 17:40
The Armenian authorities are indifferent to the fate of life prisoners,
Avetik Ishkhanyan, Head of the Helsinki Committee Armenia, told
media when commenting on the fate of a life prisoner Mher Yenokyan
on June 11.
To recall, Mher Yenokyan, born in a family of physicians, got death
penalty in 1996 charged with murder of his fellow-student. Later in
2003 his sentence was changed and he got life imprisonment.
Ishkhanyan said that Yenokyan has been insisting on his innocence
for 16 years. Another defendant Aram Haroutiunyan was sentenced to
15 years in prison but he confessed that he had murdered Yenokyan's
fellow-student.
"Despite new circumstances proving Yenokyan's innocence, the judicial
authorities of Armenia do not want to revise the case," Ishkanyan said.
Yenokyan's lawyers say that he was sentenced without any significant
facts. Yenokyan has announced a hunger strike and refuses even from
water, Ishkanyan said.
For her part, Zaruhi Muradyan, a member of the civil initiative,
said that art workers and intellectuals constantly raise the issue
of life prisoners in Armenia.
"There are 103 life prisoners in Armenia having population of 3 million
people, while in Austria with population of 120 million people there
are only 57 life prisoners," she said.
Despite many letters to relevant authorities and the Prosecutor
General's Office for revision of the life imprisonment cases, no
case has been revised yet, she said. There is no institute to revise
judicial cases in Armenia and there is no precedent of revision of
a life imprisonment case.
"As for Mher Yenokyan, his case is unique. Even in custody, Mher helps
people. He published a book entitled 'I talk to you, man' and provides
the proceeds from the sale to the dead-sick children," she said.