Print this pageConscientious Objectors
Republic of Armenia
July 2011
Currently, there are 70 Jehovah’s Witnesses who have been charged under the Criminal Code for their conscientious refusal of military service on religious grounds. Of these, 70 have been tried, convicted, and imprisoned; no one is being held in pretrial detention; no one received a suspended sentence. The names, dates of imprisonment, grounds (under criminal code1), duration of sentence and present locations of detention are as follows:
Seventy Jehovah’s Witnesses have been tried, convicted, and imprisoned:
| Name | Date of Imprisonment | Grounds, Sentence | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mkhitar Sargsyan | July 17, 2008 | § 327 I, 36 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Shahen Asatryan | July 17, 2008 | § 327 I, 36 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 |
| Vladimir Sargsyan | April 21, 2009 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni 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 |
| Aram Apresyan | August 26, 2009 | § 327 I, 24 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Kamo Sahakyan | August 26, 2009 | § 327 I, 24 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Ishkhan Grigoryan | August 10, 2009 | § 327 I, 24 months | Kosh 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 |
| Aghasi Sargsyan | October 14, 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 |
| Levon Vardanyan | January 18, 2010 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni 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 |
| Taron Pirapyan | March 2, 2010 | § 327 I, 30 months | Kosh 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 |
| Artur Torosyan | March 9, 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 |
| Arayik Nahapetyan | April 9, 2010 | § 327 I, 24 months | Erebuni 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 6, 2010 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Rafael Khalatov | May 19, 2010 | § 327 I, 24 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Narek Chinaryan | May 21, 2010 | § 327 I, 24 months | Kosh Penal Institution |
| Narek Pogosyan | May 24, 2010 | § 327 I, 30 months | Kosh Penal Institution |
| Suren Tonoyan | June 9, 2010 | § 327 I, 24 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| David Khlghatyan | July 19, 2010 | § 327 I, 24 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Andranik Bagiryan | August 2, 2010 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution | Edouard Ohandjanyan | August 2, 2010 | § 327 I, 24 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Levon Avakyan | August 3, 2010 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Alik Davtyan | August 4, 2010 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Sevak Aghekyan | August 5, 2010 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Manuk Khechoyan | August 9, 2010 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Derenik Minasyan | August 11, 2010 | § 327 I, 24 months | Kosh Penal Institution |
| Vahe Avetisyan | August 13, 2010 | § 327 I, 24 months | Kosh Penal Institution |
| Artur Hayrapetyan | August 18, 2010 | § 327 I, 12 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Hakob Engibaryan | August 24, 2010 | § 327 I, 27 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Harutyun Mnatsakanyan | August 25, 2010 | § 327 I, 36 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Gor Mesropyan | August 27, 2010 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Artashes Arshakyan | September 6, 2010 | § 327 I, 30 months | Kosh Penal Institution |
| Vardan Antonyan | September 11, 2010 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Vahagn Alikhanyan | September 24, 2010 | § 327 I, 30 months | Artik Penal Institution |
| Anri Khachatryan | September 29, 2010 | § 327 I, 24 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Nikolay Poghosyan | October 21, 2010 | § 327 I, 30 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| David Muradyan | December 30, 2010 | § 327 I, 18 months | Kosh Penal Institution |
| Ashot Voskanyan | February 2, 2011 | § 327 I, 36 months | Erebuni Penal Institution |
| Samvel Sargsyan | February 2, 2011 | § 327 I, 30 months | Kosh Penal Institution |
| Arutyun Kirakosyan | March 9, 2011 | § 327 I, 30 months | Nubarashen Penal Institution |
| Arman Nersisyan | March 14, 2011 | § 327 I, 24 months | Kosh Penal Institution |
| Andranik Geghamyan | March 15, 2011 | § 327 I, 24 months | Kosh Penal Institution |
| Hayk Sargsyan | April 8, 2011 | § 327 I, 30 months | Nubarashen Penal Institution |
| Hovik Gasparyan | April 11, 2011 | § 327 I, 30 months | Kosh Penal Institution |
None of Jehovah’s Witnesses are being held in pretrial detention. |
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None of Jehovah’s Witnesses received a suspended sentence. |
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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).