An average of 21 prisoners have died annually in Armenia’s penitentiaries over the past five years.

The highest number of deaths was in 2016 - 29 people - and the lowest in 2017 - 17 people.

Fifteen died in penitentiaries during the first nine months of 2019. This includes suicides and deaths due to illnesses.


Most deaths due to illnesses deaths were registered at the Hospital for Convicts, followed by the Noubarashen and Armavir Penitentiaries.

Hetq reporters visited ten penitentiaries for months, talking to the prisoners and meeting their relatives. The main complaints concerned inadequate medical care.

In a separate article, Hetq wrote about Garik Stepanyan, a convict at the Goris Penitentiary, who complains of severe headaches.

Stepanyan says he was healthy before being transferred to the penitentiary. Now he’s said to have ischemic heart disease, arterial hypertension, stable angina, hydrocephalus, cephalic disorder, varicose veins in the lower limbs and a few other ailments.

Stepanyan takes pills but does not receive basic inpatient treatment. He believes that the pills don’t help and that his health is worsening daily. 

He’s not the only one to complain.

Many prisoners mention the lack of basic medical treatment.

According to studies, inmates and detainees mostly die of cardiovascular disease, intoxication, acute circulatory disorders, hepatitis C, and cirrhosis.

In the first ten months of 2019, four prisoners died of cardiovascular diseases and three of hepatitis C, portal hypertension, and liver cirrhosis.


Prisoners aged 45 and over are most vulnerable.

In 2015-2019 (10 months), 76 of the 110 inmates who died in penitentiary institutions were aged 45 and over. The fewest deaths were reported in the age group below 35 (seven people).

As for the status of deceased prisoners, most deaths were among convicts.

Penitentiary Institutions Public Monitoring Group under the Ministry of Justice stated in its annual report for 2018 that criminal cases and investigations initiated in the cases of death were not satisfactory and could not be considered effective since the real causes of death often remained undisclosed.