Print this pageConscientious Objectors
Republic of Armenia
October 1, 2009
Currently, there are 71 Jehovah’s Witnesses who are in prison for their conscientious refusal of military service on religious grounds. Of these, 70 have been tried and convicted and 1 is being held in pretrial detention. The names, dates of imprisonment, grounds (under criminal code1), the duration of punishment and present locations are as follows:
Seventy Jehovah’s Witnesses have been tried and convicted:
| Name | Date of Imprisonment | Grounds, Sentence | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nikolay Gasparyan | September 25, 2006 | § 327 I, 36 months | Erebuni 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 |
| Armen Zurabyan | February 27, 2007 | § 327 I, 36 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 |
| Andranik Aghekyan | August 8, 2007 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Ashot Qaryan | August 9, 2007 | § 327 I, 26 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Hayk Madatyan | August 11, 2007 | § 327 I, 36 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Zora Melkonyan | August 13, 2007 | § 327 I, 30 months | Artik 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 |
| Hovhannes Gogdjyan | January 30, 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 |
| Zhirayr 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 |
| Hovhannes Stepanyan | March 31, 2008 | § 327 I, 24 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Karo Aleksanyan | April 4, 2008 | § 327 I, 24 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 | Artik 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 | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Samvel Shkoyan | January 22, 2009 | § 327 I, 24 months | Artik Penal Institution |
| David Mnatsakanyan | February 2, 2009 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Vigen Sargsyan | February 15, 2009 | § 327 I, 24 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Levon Bashberukyan | March 18, 2009 | § 327 I, 26 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Nver Nazaryan | March 24, 2009 | § 327 I, 24 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Tatul Arsenyan | April 20, 2009 | § 327 I, 24 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Vladimir Sargsyan | April 21, 2009 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Gevorg Karapetyan | May 11, 2009 | § 327 I, 24 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Hovsep Mutafyan | May 12, 2009 | § 327 I, 24 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Mher Hayrapetyan | May 18, 2009 | § 327 I, 24 months | Vanadzor Penal Institution |
| Harutyun Gagyan | May 28, 2009 | § 327 I, 30 months | Nubarashen Penal Institution |
| Hayk Avagyan | July 18, 2009 | § 327 I, 24 months | Nubarashen Penal Institution |
| Gor Aslanyan | July 27, 2009 | § 327 I, 30 months | Nubarashen Penal Institution |
| Aram Apresyan | August 12, 2009 | § 327 I, 24 months | Nubarashen Penal Institution |
| Kamo Sahakyan | August 12, 2009 | § 327 I, 24 months | Nubarashen Penal Institution |
| Lyudvik Arshakyan | August 28, 2009 | § 327 I, 24 months | Nubarashen Penal Institution |
| Arkadi Mardoyan | August 28, 2009 | § 327 I, 30 months | Nubarashen Penal Institution |
| Vanik Soghomonyan | August 31, 2009 | § 327 I, 30 months | Nubarashen Penal Institution |
| Grigor Safaryan | September 4, 2009 | § 327 I, 30 months | Nubarashen Penal Institution |
| Raphael Manukyan | September 17, 2009 | § 327 I, 30 months | Nubarashen Penal Institution |
| Karapet Aghadjanyan | September 22, 2009 | § 327 I, 30 months | Nubarashen Penal Institution |
One Jehovah’s Witness is being held in pretrial detention.
| Name | Date of Detention | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Ishkhan Grigoryan | August 12, 2006 | Nubarashen Penal Institution |
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).