Hunger Strike Halted at Vanadzor Penitentiary

All detainees who declared a hunger strike following the searches conducted on February 9 at the Vanadzor penitentiary have ceased their hunger strike, according to reports from the Ministry of Justice.

On February 9, officers from the central body of the Penitentiary Service carried out searches in the cells of the Vanadzor penitentiary based on information that prohibited items were being kept in the facility and that some detainees had gained advantages over others.

Alongside special forces officers, they discovered substances resembling drugs, mobile phones, homemade alcoholic beverages, and other prohibited items.

Detainees adhering to the criminal subculture in the Vanadzor penitentiary were transferred to another correctional facility on the same day, prompting some of the remaining detainees to declare a hunger strike.