Print this pageConscientious Objectors
Republic of Armenia
July 2010
Currently, there are 75 Jehovah’s Witnesses who have been charged under the Criminal Code for their conscientious refusal of military service on religious grounds. Of these, 73 have been tried, convicted, and imprisoned; one is being held in pretrial detention; and one received a suspended sentence. The names, dates of imprisonment, grounds (under criminal code 1), duration of sentence and present locations of detention are as follows:
Seventy-three Jehovah’s Witnesses have been tried, convicted, and imprisoned:
| Name | Date of Imprisonment | Grounds, Sentence | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nshan Gevorgyan | July 17, 2007 | § 327 I, 36 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Hayk Madatyan | August 11, 2007 | § 327 I, 36 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Harutyun Vardazaryan | January 9, 2008 | § 327 I, 30 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 |
| Martun Hovsepyan | February 6, 2008 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Davit Petrosyan | February 8, 2008 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Zhirayr Karyan | March 4, 2008 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Arman Kareyan | March 4, 2008 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Ashot Simonyan | March 12, 2008 | § 327 I, 36 months | Artik Penal Institution |
| Karen Voskanyan | April 16, 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 |
| Shahen Asatryan | July 17, 2008 | § 327 I, 36 months | Artik Penal Institution |
| Tigran Melikyan | July 30, 2008 | § 327 I, 24 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Gevorg Danughyan | August 13, 2008 | § 327 I, 24 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Gor Petrosyan | August 15, 2008 | § 327 I, 24 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Garegin Gogjyan | August 22, 2008 | § 327 I, 26 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 |
| Armen Martirosyan | October 2, 2008 | § 327 I, 24 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Gagik Shakaryan | October 9, 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 2, 2009 | § 327 I, 30 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 | Artik Penal Institution |
| Gagik Toplakhaltsyan | May 18, 2009 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Harutyun Gagyan | May 28, 2009 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Hayk Avagyan | July 9, 2009 | § 327 I, 24 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Gor Aslanyan | July 27, 2009 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Sergey Manukyan | July 28, 2009 | § 327 I, 24 months | Artik Penal Institution |
| Ishkhan Grigoryan | August 10, 2009 | § 327 I, 24 months | Kosh Penal Institution |
| Aram Apresyan | August 26, 2009 | § 327 I, 24 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Kamo Sahakyan | August 26, 2009 | § 327 I, 24 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Arkadi Mardoyan | August 28, 2009 | § 327 I, 30 months | Artik Penal Institution |
| Vanik Soghomonyan | August 31, 2009 | § 327 I, 30 months | Artik Penal Institution |
| Grigor Safaryan | September 4, 2009 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Lyudvik Arshakyan | September 7, 2009 | § 327 I, 30 months | Kosh Penal Institution |
| Raphael Manukyan | September 17, 2009 | § 327 I, 30 months | Artik Penal Institution |
| Karapet Aghadjanyan | September 22, 2009 | § 327 I, 30 months | Kosh Penal Institution |
| Hakob Babudjyan | September 25, 2009 | § 327 I, 24 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Artak Kroyan | September 30, 2009 | § 327 I, 30 months | Kosh Penal Institution |
| Vahram Grigoryan | October 2, 2009 | § 327 I, 24 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Gevork Sargsyan | October 8, 2009 | § 327 I, 24 months | Kosh Penal Institution |
| Roman Minasyan | October 12, 2009 | § 327 I, 24 months | Kosh Penal Institution |
| Andranik Martirosyan | October 12, 2009 | § 327 I, 24 months | Kosh Penal Institution |
| Hayk Ghazaryan | November 3, 2009 | § 327 I, 24 months | Kosh Penal Institution |
| Spartak Khanumyan | December 28, 2009 | § 327 I, 30 months | Artik Penal Institution |
| Vardan Vardanyan | January 19, 2010 | § 327 I, 24 months | Kosh Penal Institution |
| Hovhannes Kasemyan | February 2, 2010 | § 327 I, 24 months | Artik Penal Institution |
| Levon Vardanyan | February 18, 2010 | § 327 I, 24 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Taron Pirapyan | March 2, 2010 | § 327 I, 30 months | Nubarashen Penal Institution |
| Artur Torosyan | March 9, 2010 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Karapet Sargsyan | March 18, 2010 | § 327 I, 24 months | Artik Penal Institution |
| Samvel Prutyan | March 23, 2010 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Ashot Khachikyan | March 29, 2010 | § 327 I, 24 months | Kosh Penal Institution |
| David Martirosyan | March 29, 2010 | § 327 I, 24 months | Kosh Penal Institution |
| Zorayr Arakelyan | April 14, 2010 | § 327 I, 30 months | Artik Penal Institution |
| Narek Seyranyan | April 22, 2010 | § 327 I, 24 months | Kosh Penal Institution |
| Levon Tumanyan | May 5, 2010 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Rafael Khalatov | May 19, 2010 | § 327 I, 24 months | Nubarashen Penal Institution |
| Narek Chinaryan | May 21, 2010 | § 327 I, 24 months | Kosh Penal Institution |
| Narek Pogosyan | May 24, 2010 | § 327 I, 30 months | Nubarashen Penal Institution |
| Suren Tonoyan | June 9, 2010 | § 327 I, 24 months | Nubarashen Penal Institution |
One Jehovah’s Witness is being held in pretrial detention: |
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| Name | Date of Imprisonment | Grounds, Sentence | Location |
| Araik Nahapetyan | April 11, 2010 | § 327 I | Nubarashen Penal Institution |
One Jehovah’s Witness received a suspended sentence: |
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| Name | Date of Imprisonment | Grounds, Sentence | Location |
| Artur Hayrapetyan | May 6, 2010 | § 70 I, 12 months | N/A |
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).
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.