Gender: Male

Perpetrator: Uzbekistan

Ethnic Group: Armenian

Religion or Belief: Christian – Unspecified/Other

Reports of Torture: Yes

Reports of Medical Neglect: No

Sentence: 7 Years' Imprisonment

Date of Detainment: September/4/2015

Date of Sentencing: February/19/2016

Date of Release: February/5/2020

Current Status: Released

Religious Leader: No

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment

Reason for Persecution: Religious Identity

Nature of Charges: Banned Organization Extremism Spreading Propaganda & False or Misleading Ideas, Information, or Materials Terrorism Theft & Robbery Treason & Sedition

Aramais Avakian

Extra Bio Info:

Aramais Avakian was imprisoned in relation to his religious identity.

On September 4, 2015, authorities arrested Avakian, a Christian fish farmer, after being accusing him of being an Islamic extremist and being sympathetic to the Islamic State group. Authorities informed Avakian's family, who had no knowledge of his whereabouts, of his detention more than a month later.  His family claims Avakian was targeted by local authorities as a means to seize his profitable fish farm.

Local and international human rights organizations have stated that Avakian was subjected to torture in attempts to extract a confession.

On February 19, 2016, the Dzhizakh Regional Criminal Court sentenced Avakian to seven years in prison for “attempts to overthrow the constitutional order” (Art. 159 UCC), sabotage (Art. 161 UCC), theft (Art. 169 UCC), and an unspecified subsection of Article 244 UCC. 

In May 2018, Avakian was relocated to a less strict prison facility in his home region of Jizzakh.

On February 5, 2020, Avakian was released.

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