Armenian journalist, actor concerned over life-termers' problems

Armenia, with a 3-million-strong population has 103 life-termers, whereas Australia with its 120-million-strong population has only 57 life-termers, Zaruhi Mejlumyan, a journalist dealing with human rights problems, said at Dec. 15 presentation of a book entitled "I'm talking to you, Man."

The author of the book is Mher Yenokyan, one of Armenia's 103 life-termers.

This is an unprecedented figure, Mejlumyan said.

"Mr. Thomas Hammarberg mentioned the problem, and Armenia's prosecutor [general] regularly speaks o the problem. However, nothing has so far been done. We are constantly raising the problem of judicial errors, which is admitted even by the world's most developed countries. We have no institute of review of cases or a life-termer's reviewed case as a precedent," Mejlumyan said.

She also reported that 97 of the life-termers have applied to courts for review of judgments. However, after their cases are re-examined, judgments remain unchanged.

The actor Vardan Petrosyan, who attended the presentation, said that petitions for review of judgments have been filed to different judicial bodies.

"We are now raising our voice to put an end to this cold indifference. We also want to know the reasons why judicial bodies are unwilling to address the problem. I understand their fears: should this one's case be reviewed, that one will raise his head. But let them raise their heads, and let them review the cases," Petrosyan said.