News - Newspaper: Number of detainees in Armenia was 986 in 2020 but it was 1,406 as of this February 1

Zhoghovurd newspaper of the Republic of Armenia (RA) writes: According to the information of the Zhoghovurd daily, the MIA [(Ministry of Internal Affairs)] and the Ministry of Justice are in internal discussions about what to do to bring the detainees [in Armenia] to the proper courts, so that the anger of the judges and lawyers is contained, and the courts work normally. We learned that during a closed discussion, a question was raised as to whether the number of detainees has increased so much that the police escort group does not have enough employees to be able to ensure the escorting of all detainees. Zhoghovurd daily found out that, for example, in 2020, the number of detainees in the RA was 986, whereas today, as of February 1, 1,406 citizens are in custody in the RA. It turns out that since 2020 to this day, the number of detained persons has increased by 420 [in Armenia]. It is difficult to say how these discussions will end, but it is a fact that a wave of dissatisfaction has matured in the courts [of Armenia]. Let’s remind that the lawyers warn that if this continues, they will petition to the European Court of Human Rights. The thing is that they have not been able to bring the detainees from the prison to the court for a long time. (…). (…). Ensuring the presence of the detainee at the court sessions is the positive obligation of the state, which is not being fulfilled [in Armenia]. The delay in one case spreads in a chain to the next ones, and the work schedule of the day is violated.