Political prisoner Narek Samsonyan's hunger strike enters 11th day

Warm greetings from Armavir Penitentiary Institution. Today marks the 11th day of my hunger strike, and thank God, my body still allows me to keep my promise of maintaining daily communication. I will be as brief as possible today; I will simply provide you with information regarding yesterday's situation.

Yesterday morning, I experienced compressing chest pains and shortness of breath, which was not a very good sign. Since on Saturdays and Sundays, the 1,100-person personnel at the Penitentiary is served by only 2-3 paramedics (attention: paramedics, not doctors), they were forced to call an ambulance. Upon examination on the spot, the ambulance staff saw the need to transfer me to a hospital, as the symptoms suggested a pre-infarction condition. At the hospital, after appropriate examinations and a troponin sample test, the pre-infarction condition was ruled out, and I was transferred back to the Penitentiary, to the punishment cell. That is all regarding yesterday. Thank you for your concern.

In yesterday's reactions, different approaches regarding the hunger strike were noticeable, but I will not respond to them today. Instead, I will simply ask all interested ones to read the post by my good friend, political scientist Vladimir Martirosyan, which will be posted in the comments of this post. Knowing me well (he was the chair of my master's thesis defense committee at YSU) and having a brilliant command of his profession, Vladimir Martirosyan has presented all the problematic and targeted aspects regarding the declaration of a hunger strike in a very accessible and understandable way. I am grateful to my friend for such explanatory and professional observations. I subscribe to every word.

Stay well, and freedom to all political prisoners.

Determination, self-sacrifice, victory!

Political prisoner Narek Samsonyan, on the 11th day of hunger strike
Armavir Penitentiary Institution, Punishment Cell N6, 67 days in prison.
19.01.2026