A mysterious and tragic incident occurred today at the Armavir Prison of the Penitentiary Service of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia.
According to photojournalist Gagik Shamshyan, at approximately 11:20 AM, correctional facility staff discovered the hanged body of a prisoner in quarantine cell No. 1 on the first floor.
According to Shamshyan, the situation at the Armavir Prison is quite tense. Several inmates and convicts have also declared a hunger strike.
We spoke with Nona Navikyan, head of the Public Relations Department of the Penitentiary Service, to find out what happened and the reason for this latest incident.
In response to our question, Navikyan stated: “On March 17, at approximately 11:00 a.m., a man born in 1973, arrested on March 13, 2018, was found hanged in the quarantine cell of the Armavir Prison of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia.”
No further details were provided, and questions about the reasons for the man’s presumed suicide, the reasons for the hunger strike of other prisoners, and measures to prevent similar incidents remained unanswered.