Print this pageConscientious Objectors
Republic of Armenia
May 2009
Currently, there are 78 Jehovah’s Witnesses who are in prison for their conscientious refusal of military service on religious grounds. Of these, 76 have been tried and convicted and two are being held in pretrial detention. Moreover, 1 Jehovah’s Witness received a suspended sentence. The names, dates of imprisonment, grounds (under criminal code1), the duration of punishment and present locations are as follows:
Seventy-five Jehovah’s Witnesses have been tried and convicted:
| Name | Date of Imprisonment | Grounds, Sentence | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vahe Mejlumyan | September 6, 2006 | § 327 I, 36 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Nikolay Gasparyan | September 25, 2006 | § 327 I, 36 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Hovhannes Khachatryan | November 22, 2006 | § 327 I, 30 months | Artik Penal Institution |
| Vahe Musaelyan | November 28, 2006 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Gagik Qochinyan | December 5, 2006 | § 327 I, 30 months | Artik Penal Institution |
| Hrachya Khachatryan | December 8, 2006 | § 327 I, 30 months | Artik Penal Institution |
| Albert Balyan | December 13, 2006 | § 327 I, 30 months | Artik Penal Institution |
| Yerem Hovhannisyan | January 10, 2007 | § 327 I, 36 months | Artik Penal Institution |
| Sayad Tovmasyan | January 10, 2007 | § 327 I, 36 months | Artik Penal Institution |
| Karapet Barseghyan | February 7, 2007 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Aram Yelchyan | February 13, 2007 | § 327 I, 30 months | Artik Penal Institution |
| Senik Harutyunyan | February 15, 2007 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Armen Zurabyan | February 27, 2007 | § 327 I, 36 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Gevorg Hovsepyan | March 3, 2007 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Bagrat Pirgulyan | March 15, 2007 | § 327 I, 26 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Karen Safaryan | March 15, 2007 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Vigen Yeghiazaryan | March 15, 2007 | § 327 I, 27 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Hakob Babayan | March 16, 2007 | § 327 I, 27 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Vahan Babayan | March 16, 2007 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Kajik Harutyunyan | March 18, 2007 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Gevorg Karapetyan | April 5, 2007 | § 327 I, 30 months | Artik Penal Institution |
| Armen Kirakosyan | April 18, 2007 | § 327 I, 30 months | Artik Penal Institution |
| Nshan Gevorgyan | July 17, 2007 | § 327 I, 36 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| David Aroyan | August 3, 2007 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Edgar Hakobyan | August 7, 2007 | § 327 I, 24 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Andranik Aghekyan | August 8, 2007 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Ashot Qaryan | August 9, 2007 | § 327 I, 26 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Zora Melkonyan | August 13, 2007 | § 327 I, 30 months | Artik Penal Institution |
| Hayk Madatyan | August 11, 2007 | § 327 I, 36 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Karen Smbatyan | August 14, 2007 | § 327 I, 22 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Arman Ayvazyan | August 14, 2007 | § 327 I, 24 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Henrik Ghazaryan | August 23, 2007 | § 327 I, 24 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Levon Azizyan | August 23, 2007 | § 327 I, 24 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Argam Vardanyan | August 29, 2007 | § 327 I, 24 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Gor Kirakosyan | September 21, 2007 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Mkrtich Smbatyan | September 26, 2007 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Stepan Hovakimyan | September 26, 2007 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Babken Shahinyan | December 5, 2007 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Roman Hovhannisyan | December 17, 2007 | § 327 I, 30 months | Artik Penal Institution |
| Garik Gevorgyan | December 25, 2007 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Samson Indzigulyan | December 25, 2007 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Harutyun Vardazaryan | January 9, 2008 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Hrayr Mkrtchyan | January 14, 2008 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Hovhannes Arakelyan | January 18, 2008 | § 327 I, 24 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Araz Arshakyan | February 5, 2008 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Armen Mardoyan | February 5, 2008 | § 327 I, 30 months | Artik Penal Institution |
| Hamayak Eminyan | February 6, 2008 | § 327 I, 27 months | Artik Penal Institution |
| Davit Petrosyan | February 7, 2008 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Martun Hovsepyan | February 7, 2008 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Zirayr Karyan | March 6, 2008 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Arman Kareyan | March 7, 2008 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Ashot Simonyan | March 12, 2008 | § 327 I, 36 months | Artik Penal Institution |
| Hovik Stepanyan | March 31, 2008 | § 327 I, 24 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Karo Aleksanyan | April 4, 2008 | § 327 I, 24 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| David Arakelyan | April 7, 2008 | § 327 I, 12 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Vahe Ananyan | April 8, 2008 | § 327 I, 24 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Karen Voskanyan | April 11, 2008 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Vahram Baghramyan | June 3, 2008 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Alik Balayan | July 14, 2008 | § 327 I, 24 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Mkhitar Sargsyan | July 17, 2008 | § 327 I, 36 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Tigran Melikyan | July 30, 2008 | § 327 I, 24 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Shahen Asatryan | July 31, 2008 | § 327 I, 36 months | Artik Penal Institution |
| Gevorg Danughyan | August 8, 2008 | § 327 I,24 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Gor Petrosyan | August 15, 2008 | § 327 I, 24 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Mher Barseghyan | August 25, 2008 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Vardan Kasemyan | September 2, 2008 | § 327 I, 36 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Garegin Gogjyan | September 13, 2008 | § 327 I, 26 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Armen Martirosyan | October 2, 2008 | § 327 I, 24 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Gagik Shakaryan | October 6, 2008 | § 327 I, 24 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Grisha Ohanjanyan | October 13, 2008 | § 327 I, 24 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| David Parsadanyan | January 22, 2009 | § 327 I, 24 months | Nubarashen Penal Institution |
| Samvel Shkoyan | January 22, 2009 | § 327 I, 24 months | Artik Penal Institution |
| Davit Mnatsakanyan | February 2, 2009 | § 327 I, 30 months | Nubarashen Penal Institution |
| Vigen Sargsyan | February 15, 2009 | § 327 I, 24 months | Nubarashen Penal Institution |
| Levon Bashberukyan | March 18, 2009 | § 327 I, 26 months | Nubarashen Penal Institution |
| Vladimir Sargsyan | April 21, 2009 | § 327 I, 24 months | Nubarashen Penal Institution |
Two Jehovah’s Witness are being held in pretrial detention.
| Name | Date of Imprisonment | Grounds, Sentence | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nver Nazaryan | March 24, 2009 | § 70 I, | Nubarashen Penal Institution |
| Tatul Arsenyan | April 20, 2009 | § 70 I, | Nubarashen Penal Institution |
One Jehovah’s Witness received a suspended sentence:
| Name | Date | Grounds, Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Aghasi Yeghiazaryan | May 7, 2007 | § 70 I, 24 months 2 |
1 Article 327 I states: Evasion from recurring draft military or alternative service call-up, training exercise or mobilization, without any order defined by Legislation of the RA as grounds for exemption, is punished with arrest for a maximum term of two months, or imprisonment for a maximum term of three years (modified 16.12.2005).
2 Article 70 I states: When assigning a punishment in the form of public work, arrest, imprisonment or keeping in the disciplinary battalion if the court comes to the conclusion that the correction of the convict is possible without serving the sentence, the court can conditionally decide not to apply this punishment.