Two Detainees at Artik Penitentiary End Hunger and Thirst Strikes After Shirak Prosecutor's Visit

As a result of the visit by the Shirak province prosecutor, two detainees held at the Artik penitentiary have suspended their hunger and thirst strikes. This information was shared by Gor Abrahamyan, an advisor to the Chief Prosecutor, on his Facebook page.

Specifically, he wrote, "The prosecutor of Shirak province, Karen Gabrielyan, visited the Artik penitentiary and met with H.D., who had declared a hunger strike since June 9, and V.M., who had declared both a hunger and thirst strike since June 17. During the inquiry conducted by the prosecutor, H.D. stated that he had initiated the hunger strike in response to the charges against him, while V.M. expressed dissatisfaction with the application of the detention measure against him."

During the meeting, the province prosecutor provided necessary clarifications regarding the issues raised by the detainees, addressing the essence and justification of the charges in one case, and the grounds and necessity for the application of the detention measure in the other. He explained the negative consequences of expressing their protests through such extreme measures and urged them to replace the hunger and thirst strikes with legal means to assert their rights. At the end of the meeting, the detainees reported that they were satisfied with the prosecutor's visit and the clarifications provided, and on the same day, they ended their hunger and thirst strikes.