Your trusted source

A total of 10 convicts are currently holding a hunger strike in Armenia’s penitentiaries, Justice Minister Artak Zeynalyan told a working discussion organized by the parliamentary committee on human rights and social affairs on Friday, presenting figures on prisoners and detainees held in correctional facilities in Armenia.

“We can house up to 5,300 prisoners at correctional facilities. Today, there are 2,266 convicts and detainees at penitentiaries – 963 detainees and 1,303 convicts. 10 convicts are currently on hunger strike,” he said.

The minister said there are a total of 232 judges in the country – 7 judges per 100,000 inhabitants. “We have vacancies for judges: the sector has lost its attractiveness too. There are several thousand cases in the proceedings assigned to a judge, for example, if there are more than 15 criminal cases in the proceedings of one judge, it is no longer effective, whereas there are 40 and more cases in their proceedings,” he said, stressing judges also have a right to take vacation and should exercise that right.