2 minute read
Deputy Minister of Justice of Armenia, Anna Karapetyan, held a meeting with Rafael Benitez, Director of Social Rights, Health and Environment at the Council of Europe’s Directorate General of Human Rights and Rule of Law.
Benitez “highly appreciated the reforms carried out by the Republic of Armenia in recent years and the efforts to implement the legal instruments of the Council of Europe, including in terms of accession to various sectoral conventions,” the Ministry of Justice said in a press release.
Anna Karapetyan, in turn, emphasized the role of the Council of Europe in implementing reforms, noting that the legislative changes already enacted, including through the Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Armenia, have introduced regulations aligned with international standards. The Deputy Minister also reported that the Council of Europe’s Convention against Trafficking in Human Organs is currently undergoing domestic proceedings by the Ministry of Justice.
According to the readout, the parties also discussed reforms in the penitentiary sector, as well as measures to protect the mental health of incarcerated persons. In this context, Anna Karapetyan highlighted the need to improve risk assessment tools and noted the already effective cooperation with the Council of Europe in this regard.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the parties reaffirmed the importance of continuing collaboration in the field of human rights protection.
Maxime Longangué, Head of the Council of Europe’s Yerevan Office, also attended the meeting and expressed readiness to continue supporting ongoing reforms and to expand areas of cooperation.