“Humanism is more beneficial”
How many of the 104 Armenian prisoners sentenced to life in prison have received a fair verdict? Lawyers are certain that the verdicts of at least some of them have to be reconsidered and they have appealed to the corresponding bodies with that request.
"Europe has shown that humanism and tolerance are more fruitful than strictness," said President of the Helsinki Committee of Armenia Avetik Ishkhanyan.
Two of the 25 prisoners sentenced to life in prison at the Nubarashen Penitentiary, including Harutyun Khachatryan and Arel Chatinyan, declared a hunger strike yesterday with the demand to review their verdicts.
Avetik Ishkhanyan says the verdicts should be reviewed and there should be a flexible legislation.
For instance, the threshold of the premature release of prisoners should be 10 years instead of 20, if the person was under the age of 21 at the time the crime was committed, as well as if that was his first crime.
The lawyer says Armenia has to follow the European experience and solve the issue at the state level.
More details will be provided in the video.
