Artsakh political figure Artur Osipyan, released from custody on June 10, has criticized conditions at Nubarashen Penitentiary, saying inmates smoked heavily to overpower persistent sewage and garbage odors.

Artur Osipyan, an Artsakh political figure released from Nubarashen Penitentiary on the evening of June 10, spoke about detention conditions, stating that “we smoked so much just to drown out the smell of sewage and garbage.”

“The conditions in this prison were extremely harsh. The issue is not just about me—people have been living in those circumstances all along, and this is a systemic problem. To be honest, I appealed to the Human Rights Defender specifically to encourage a systemic approach, and they promised to address it,” he said, according to Factor.am .

According to Osipyan, the only change made during his detention was the installation of a heater in the cell designated for hunger strikers.

“There was a different kind of dampness and cold there. Even in this weather, we had to turn the heater up to the maximum just to be able to stay in long-sleeved clothes. It is a basement-level floor, and we never saw sunlight. But beyond all that, the smell, the sewage smell, is unbearable. That was the hardest part, and it genuinely caused some health problems, especially since for five days we were not allowed out for walks. It truly worsened everyone’s condition. Not to mention other artificial obstacles.

For the second day now, I have been unable to file a report with the Prosecutor’s Office regarding what I consider a serious crime causing grave harm to the health of a group of people, something that can even carry irreversible consequences or a risk of death. When we opened the door, the smell of sewage came in; when we opened the window, the smell of the garbage dump came in. The only option was to smoke enough cigarettes to overpower those odors with cigarette smoke, as if we were sitting inside an ashtray. That situation there is unbearable. And I repeat, the issue is not about me alone. To my knowledge, most of the penitentiary institutions are in a similar condition,” he said.

The pretrial detention imposed on Osipyan during his 24-day hunger strike was lifted based on guarantees submitted by a group of civil society representatives.

An incident occurred during a Civil Contract party campaign event in Arabkir involving Nikol Pashinyan and Artur Osipyan. Following an argument, the two exchanged sharp remarks. Pashinyan called Osipyan a “fugitive” and also questioned why he had not died during the Artsakh war. After the incident, Osipyan was arrested and placed in pretrial detention for two months. He remained on hunger strike from the day of his arrest.

Earlier, Justice Minister Srbuhi Galyan said that all necessary measures were being taken to properly ensure Osipyan’s rights, including his right to conduct a hunger strike. She also stated that he was being provided with opportunities for outdoor walks and other necessary conditions. According to Galyan, Osipyan’s health condition was assessed as stable.