Jehovah's Witnesses in Armenia
Imprisonment of conscientious objectors to military service
REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
(November 23, 2004)
Currently, there are 12 male Jehovah's Witnesses in prison for their conscientious refusal of military service on religious grounds. The names, dates of imprisonment, sentences, grounds (under criminal code1) and locations are as follows:
| Name |
Date of Imprisonment |
Grounds |
Sentence |
Location |
| Vardan Sahakyan |
March 5, 2004 |
§362 I |
18 months |
Kosh Penal Institution |
| Mikael Mkrtchyan |
May 5, 2004 |
§327 I |
2 years |
Kosh Penal Institution |
| Ruslan Avetisyan |
May 26, 2004 |
§327 I |
2 years |
Kosh Penal Institution |
| Aram Manukyan |
August 16, 2004 |
§327 I |
2 years |
Nubarashen Penal Institution |
| Samvel Voskanyan |
August 26, 2004 |
§327 I |
2 years |
Kosh Penal Institution |
| Asatur Badalyan |
September 30, 2004 |
§327 I |
18 months |
Kosh Penal Institution |
| Karen Akopyan |
October 7, 2004 |
§327 I |
2 years |
Nubarashen Penal Institution |
| Arsen Sargsyan |
October 8, 2004 |
§327 I |
2 years |
Nubarashen Penal Institution |
| Grisha Kazaryan |
October 8, 2004 |
§327 I |
18 months |
Nubarashen Penal Institution |
| Mher Mirpakhatyan |
October 13, 2004 |
§327 I |
2 years |
Nubarashen Penal Institution |
| Ovanes Bayatyan |
October 14, 2004 |
§327 I |
2 years |
Nubarashen Penal Institution |
| Nshan Shagiyan |
October 26, 2004 |
§327 I |
10 months |
Nubarashen Penal Institution |
One Jehovah's Witness was sentenced to pay a fine:
| Name |
Date of Sentence |
Grounds |
Fine |
| Stepan Epremyan |
March 29, 2004 |
§327 I |
penalty 300 000 dram (approximately $500 US) |
Three Jehovah's Witnesses have been arrested and are awaiting their trial:
| Name |
Date of Arrest |
Location |
| Artur Manukyan |
September 6, 2004 |
Nubarashen Penal Institution |
| Aram Melikyan |
October 19, 2004 |
Nubarashen Penal Institution |
| Mher Manukyan |
November 1, 2004 |
Nubarashen Penal Institution |
1 Article 327 I states: Evading a recurring call to emergency military service, or educational or military training, without a legal basis for being relieved of this service, shall incur a fine in the amount of 300 to 500 minimum wages or arrest for up to two months or imprisonment for up to two years.
Article 362 I states: Desertion, i.e. willful abandonment of the military unit or place of service for the purpose of total evasion from military service, as well as failure to report for service for the same reasons, is punished with imprisonment for the term of up to four years
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