Strengthening the Protection of the Rights of Persons in Detention in Armenia

Building upon the results achieved from the implementation of the Project “Enhancing healthcare and human rights protection in prisons in Armenia”, the Project “Strengthening the Protection of the Rights of Persons in Detention” financed by Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia 2023 – 2026 assists the Armenian authorities to further enhance penitentiary reform and prison health care, and the protection of the human rights of persons deprived of liberty. The Council of Europe is providing support at policy and operational levels assisting authorities to accomplish penitentiary reform goals and trigger changes in practices throughout the prison system especially after the adoption of the Criminal Code, Criminal Procedural Code as well as Penitentiary Code in June 2022.
The Project is implemented in close cooperation with the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, Prison Medicine Centre, as well as other stakeholders including the civil society organisations.
The Project focuses on following priority areas:

Further enhancing the institutional capacity of the Prison Medicine Centre in order to provide quality health care in the penitentiary system;
Further consolidating the knowledge and skills of medical and non-medical staff on different topics on provision of health care;
Strengthening the capacities of prison staff to apply tools and rehabilitation programmes for persons deprived of liberty;
Harmonizing the regulatory framework on human rights with the new Penitentiary Code.

The key Conventions for this Project are the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR), as well as the findings and the recommendations of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) and the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).
The duration of the Project was set at 24 months, and it was completed on 31 December 2024, with an overall budget of 550 000 Euros.

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Back Conference on exploring effective approaches to rehabilitation in criminal justice: international insights

The conference, held on June 11-12, 2024 in Yerevan, brought together professionals and experts from different countries to explore effective rehabilitation approaches in criminal justice. Organised by the "Strengthening the Protection of the Rights of Persons in Detention" and "Strengthening the Probation Service in Armenia" projects in cooperation with the Pompidou Group and Confederation of European Probation, the conference aimed to foster insightful discussions and share international perspectives on rehabilitation practices.

Speakers from Czechia, Finland, France, Georgia, Latvia, Moldova, the Netherlands, and Portugal shared experiences and best practices on topics such as the importance of rehabilitation in reducing recidivism and promoting social inclusion, addressing the unique challenges and needs of specific offender groups, and measuring impact and evaluating programme effectiveness. The conference also highlighted country experiences in rehabilitation regarding addictions , stressing collaboration among national authorities, civil society organisations and other stakeholders for effective programs. The national stakeholders in Armenia including and not limited to the Ministry of Justice, the Probation and Penitentiary Services and civil society organisations provided valuable insights into Armenia's justice system. The agenda encompassed keynote addresses, panel discussions, and Q&A sessions.

The conference concluded with closing remarks and a summary of key takeaways, delineating the next steps for Armenia in partnership with the Council of Europe and project collaborators.

This event is part of the Council of Europe’s support within the framework of the Projects “Strengthening the Probation Service in Armenia” and “Strengthening the Protection of the Rights of Persons in Detention”. The Projects are financed within the framework of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia 2023–2026 and implemented by the Council of Europe.

Armenia 12 June 2024