Beating So Brutal That An Employee Covered A Prisoner With His Body

Serious violations have been revealed at the Nubarashen Penitentiary in Armenia. According to point 64 of Order No. 227N of the Minister of Justice of Armenia, dated May 11, 2022, an urgent report is published regarding the visit to the Nubarashen Penitentiary. This information comes from a record made by a group of public observers conducting public oversight over penitentiary institutions and bodies in Armenia.

On April 4, 2025, members of the public observation group visited the Nubarashen Penitentiary following media reports about events that occurred on April 3, 2025. The group members met with inmates who had declared hunger strikes, toured the cells in Building 5 where special operations had taken place, and conversed with the facility's administration.

During the visit to cell 81, two inmates were present, while a third was moved to another penitentiary on April 3, 2025. The inmates reported that, for unknown reasons, prison staff entered their cell, followed by special forces numbering around 30-40 individuals. After entering, some members of the special forces took down inmate D.M. and another prisoner, resulting in physical injuries and bruises to one of them. Following this, a search was conducted, damaging much of the inmates’ belongings.

The inmates indicated that about a week earlier, they had started singing patriotic and foreign songs during their outdoor activities. The administration demanded that they refrain from singing foreign songs, to which the inmates complied.

In cell 80, two inmates were present, while a third had declared a hunger strike and was in a separate hunger strike cell. Inmates in this cell reported hearing noises from the neighboring cell that indicated violence was occurring. They attempted to understand what was happening and shouted to the administration, hitting the doors lightly. However, over ten special forces members stormed into their cell, pinned them to the ground, and beat them, resulting in physical injuries.

The inmates maintained that they didn't burn anything in the cell and described this claim as misinformation. Most belongings in the cell were broken, which the inmates attributed to the actions of the special forces. The beating was so brutal that during the ordeal, a member of the administration helped to stop the violence by covering one of the inmates with his body.

One inmate, V.H., declared a hunger strike on April 3, 2025, as a sign of protest. Inmates from cell 80 stated that they do not belong to any criminal subculture; they were ordinary workers, and previously they had wooden items in their room for crafting, which had also been broken and destroyed by the special forces, according to their accounts.

The group members also visited and spoke with V.H., who had declared a hunger strike and was moved to the hunger strikers’ cell. V.H. reported that around ten special forces had entered their cell after they had called for a doctor for their fellow inmate who was feeling unwell. This individual had sustained a physical injury to the head due to the application of physical force. As a protest, he had engaged in self-harm on his left hand.

The group members also discussed issues with the facility's administration regarding the conditions of the hunger strikers' cells, revealing numerous complaints from all interviewed inmates about the quality of food. They raised medical assistance issues, which will be addressed in correspondence to the Ministry of Health of Armenia. Furthermore, it was noted that the hotline phone number for the group was absent from the designated telephone booths area—a problem observed in other penitentiaries as well, which the group has included in its correspondence and requested that this information be ensured at all institutions.

Issues related to ventilation, inhumane conditions, penitentiary cells failing to meet standards, and the physical state of belongings in the cells were also reported. Particularly concerning was the condition of the hunger strikers' cell and the corridor leading to it; the facility's electrical wiring was in poor condition and did not comply with fire safety regulations. The cell designated for hunger strikers had a wall that obstructed natural ventilation, beds that were old and damaged, and lacked appropriate bedding, overall being in unsatisfactory and unrepaired condition.

In light of these findings, the Observation Group, as part of its operational protocol, sent an urgent report to the Ministry of Justice and the Department of the Penitentiary Service of Armenia. However, within the set three-day period, no responses were received to the inquiries submitted to them, which include the following:

• What was the situation that necessitated the involvement of the special unit staff?
• How many special unit employees were involved?
• What actions were taken by the special unit employees and for what purpose?
• Were searches conducted? If yes, for what purpose and what prohibited items were found?
• Has a service investigation been initiated?
• Were any burned items or traces found in cell 80?
• What medical assistance did those with physical injuries receive?
• What kind of physical injuries were inflicted as a result of the special actions, and were they properly recorded by the facility?
• When was V.H.'s self-harm noted?
• What was the reason for the transfer of D.M. to another penitentiary?

Additionally, we request to:

• Address the issue of transferring Hovhannes Selimyann from the second cell of Building 6 to another cell.
• Repair the hunger strikers' cell and/or place them in another cell, ensuring proper ventilation, natural light ingress, and the availability of necessary items in the cell.
• Ensure the availability of information regarding the Group’s hotline phone number in all penitentiaries.
• Discuss the possibility of closing the Nubarashen Penitentiary.

It has also been reported that the Department of the Penitentiary Service of Armenia previously provided clarification regarding this incident.