“They don’t care about human life”: Zhanna Aleksanyan on Narek Samsonyan’s 15-day hunger strike

Narek Samsonyan, co-author of the Imnemnimi podcast, has been on a hunger strike for 15 days. Human rights activist Zhanna Aleksanyan says the authorities are showing no genuine concern for his health or life.

In an interview with Aysor.am, Aleksanyan stated that the Ministry of Health body responsible for the medical care of detainees treats even prolonged hunger strikes “with alarming calmness,” demonstrating little concern for the health and lives of people.

According to the activist, the Prosecutor General plays a decisive role in changing Narek Samsonyan’s detention status, as he holds the authority to alter preventive measures.

“The Minister of Health should prioritize health-related issues. There are many responsible officials, beginning with Alen Simonyan. He filed a report, but that does not justify keeping a person in detention, let alone extending it,” Aleksanyan said.

She argued that the current authorities are exploiting a climate of permissiveness and the indifference of international structures.

“These authorities are not only bad rulers, but also bad people. They are not interested in human life at all. I have not seen any representative of this government show concern for a person’s condition, even when their life is at risk,” Aleksanyan emphasized.

She expressed confidence that international human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, will respond to Samsonyan’s situation. At the same time, she criticized several other international bodies, saying they are guided by political interests and refuse to acknowledge the existence of political prisoners in Armenia. 

“This is a very difficult situation for all of us. We are living through hard days. Why would Alen Simonyan, who once spat at a person and faced no consequences, step back now when someone has been on a hunger strike for 15 days? For them, the desire to punish is above everything else,” Aleksanyan said.

She added that while protests are being organized, they need to be broader in scope, and political forces must articulate clear demands to clarify why a person is being held in prolonged detention.