Ministry Denies Claims of Inadequate Oversight Over Inmate

The Ministry of Justice of Armenia has clarified the claims made by Arthur Sakunts regarding the lack of adequate oversight over the inmate V.A. and emphasized that these claims have no relation to either objective reality or the known factual circumstances of the case.

It was also noted that the Ministry of Justice and the Penitentiary Service are determined to act decisively and remain committed to combating criminal subcultures, which is being made irreversible through the radical reforms implemented in the penitentiary system.

This information was provided by the Ministry's Department of Information and Public Relations.

During a press conference at the Media Center on the topic "Attempted Murder in Prison with the Support of Law Enforcement: How the Criminal World Collaborates with Prison Staff," speaker Arthur Sakunts made several claims that have no connection to either objective reality or the currently known factual circumstances of the case. In particular, the speaker accused the Penitentiary Service of failing to ensure adequate supervision over the long-term detained inmate V.A., suggesting negligence regarding his safety. However, V.A. has never expressed concerns about any threats to his safety while being incarcerated in the Nubarashen penitentiary from January 20, 2018, until the present, either personally or through his defenders, relatives, or others.

In relation to the incident of February 25, 2020, V.A. stated and insisted that he sustained injuries from slipping and falling. Notably, there have been no indications from V.A. contradicting this assertion, and even his defenders have denied that he provided any information about being assaulted.

In light of these circumstances, the preliminary picture of the events concerning V.A. has been revealed exclusively through the operational measures undertaken by the Penitentiary Service, which clearly demonstrates their commitment to eliminating instances of criminal subcultures and violence in penitentiary institutions.

Immediately after receiving relevant operational information, materials regarding the incident where V.A. sustained injuries at the Nubarashen penitentiary were forwarded to the Prosecutor General's Office of Armenia for further follow-up in accordance with established procedures, as indicated by a letter from the Minister of Justice.

The referral of the materials was determined not only by the need for an urgent and comprehensive examination of the factual circumstances of the case but also due to the necessity of investigating the alleged commission of official crimes by certain officials of the penitentiary facility.

This further evidences the diligence and consistency of the Penitentiary Service and the Ministry of Justice in holding all culpable individuals accountable.

Moreover, even after forwarding the materials to the Prosecutor General's Office, the Penitentiary Service has pursued the complete disclosure of the events, leading to operational information that V.A.'s assault was orchestrated and organized by an individual of high status in the criminal hierarchy residing abroad, who is not the person mentioned by the speaker during the press conference.

The speaker repeatedly mentioned an alleged murder attempt against V.A. via stabbing, which also does not correspond to reality, as V.A. was not stabbed but assaulted. Furthermore, his injuries were not life-threatening, and he only lodged complaints regarding injuries sustained years earlier from a hand injury.

The Penitentiary Service reaffirms its position that the fight against criminal subcultures will be uncompromising, and that all individuals involved in manifestations of such phenomena, including penitentiary service personnel, will face due consequences and severe punishment. However, this will occur strictly in accordance with the requirements of the law.

Transfers of heads of penitentiary institutions will continue to be periodic, and the processes for dismissing them or temporarily suspending their duties will be regulated by the provisions of Armenia's Law on Penitentiary Service and the Criminal Procedure Code, which stipulate that immediate measures will be taken under the necessary conditions or upon receipt of initial information.

The Ministry of Justice considers the existence of any manifestations of criminal subcultures in penitentiary institutions fundamentally unacceptable. Consequently, other organizational-legal measures have also been taken by the Minister of Justice and the leadership of the Penitentiary Service. A service investigation has been initiated, and consultations involving the heads of all penitentiary institutions have been held, during which the need to combat criminal subcultures and corruption was once again emphasized, along with the importance of preventing violence related to non-statutory and hierarchical relationships among imprisoned individuals.

Such measures will be ongoing, and the Ministry of Justice and the Penitentiary Service are determined to act decisively and remain committed to combating criminal subcultures, which is being made irreversible through the radical reforms implemented in the penitentiary system.