Prison Service, Ombudsman’s Office discuss monitoring findings at Abovyan and Artik penitentiaries

A working meeting chaired by Tsovinar Tadevosyan, head of Armenia’s Penitentiary Service, was held on July 31 with staff members of the National Preventive Mechanism unit of the Human Rights Defender’s Office.

According to the Penitentiary Service, the meeting was attended by Deputy Head of the Service Vahe Nanushyan, Chief of Staff Rafael Harutyunyan, Head of the Department for Social, Psychological and Legal Affairs Tsoghik Aleksanyan, Head of Abovyan Penitentiary Hegine Martirosyan, and acting Head of Artik Penitentiary Karo Manukyan.

Laura Gasparyan, coordinator for the implementation of the National Preventive Mechanism at the Human Rights Defender’s Office and Head of the Department for the Prevention of Torture and Ill-Treatment, addressed issues related to detention conditions, sanitary and hygiene standards, the protection of inmates’ rights, food provision, and medical care and services at the two penitentiaries.

The parties reviewed in detail each issue identified during the monitoring process, including the filling of vacant staff positions at penitentiary institutions, ensuring inmates’ contact with the outside world, and resocialisation programmes.

During the discussion, representatives of the Penitentiary Service provided clarifications on the issues raised and discussed the most effective and practical ways to address them.

Summing up the meeting, Tadevosyan reaffirmed the Penitentiary Service’s commitment to the consistent implementation of reforms in the penitentiary system and stressed that the Service remains open to constructive cooperation and professional dialogue.

The representative of the Human Rights Defender’s Office also highlighted the effectiveness of meetings held in this format, noting that the Penitentiary Service responds to the issues raised promptly and in a cooperative manner.