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 Fostering interagency cooperation: workshop empowers collaboration in Armenia's criminal justice system

A recent joint workshop held in Tsaghkadzor on 2-3 May, organised within the framework of two Council of Europe projects – “Strengthening the Protection of the Rights of Persons in Detention in Armenia” and “Strengthening the Probation Service in Armenia” – brought together key stakeholders from various sectors. Participants included representatives from the Ministry of Justice, Penitentiary Service, Probation Service, and the Centre for Implementation of Legal Education and Resocialisation Programmes.

Throughout the facilitated sessions, discussions revolved around the fundamental aspects of collaboration in different areas of work, including the resocialisation cycle, conditional release, alternatives to imprisonment, data collection and exchange, and staff training initiatives. The participants actively contributed by bringing in their expertise and perspective, enriching the discourse and fostering a sense of shared responsibility towards improving the effectiveness of various aspects of the country's criminal justice system.

The workshop provided an inclusive platform for the participants to exchange insights, share best practices, and explore innovative strategies to address common challenges. Professionals from the diverse sectors engaged in constructive dialogue aimed at enhancing collaboration between them, thus strengthening the foundations of Armenia’s advancement to human rights-based criminal justice.

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 6 May 2024