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 Third joint Steering Committee meeting of Armenian projects

Building on the Council of Europe's commitment to support criminal justice reforms in Armenia, the projects “Strengthening the Protection of the Rights of the Persons in Detention in Armenia” and “Strengthening the Probation Service in Armenia” set the agenda for the second half of 2024. At their joint Steering Committee meeting in Yerevan on 11 June 20224, the key project partners reflected on the achieved progress and adopted seven-months’ work plans.

Progress has been ascertained in various aspects of the penitentiary system. Notable improvements include expanding telemedicine services to provide inmates with access to highly qualified medical professionals. Specialised intervention protocols have been established to address suicide and self-harm risks. A significant advancement towards establishing a more rehabilitative approach to individuals deprived of liberty involved the development of a special risk and needs assessment tool, which has been officially piloted in four Armenian prisons following a decree of the Minister of Justice. Support was provided to reforming the conditional release mechanism aligning it with the Council of Europe standards and recommendations. Efforts to enhance the Ministry of Internal Affairs' capacity in documenting and reporting alleged ill-treatment cases in police detention facilities have also been strengthened.

The Council of Europe also continued supporting the Armenian Probation Service through several initiatives. Recommendations to reform the performance evaluation system for probation officers incorporating self-assessment and other key performance criteria have been developed. The Council of Europe also supported the introduction of a rehabilitative programme targeting violent offenders that will be piloted this year. A comprehensive review of the Probation Service’s regulatory framework was conducted, resulting in recommendations for legislative improvements and alignment with European standards. Additionally, the Council of Europe facilitated the membership of the Armenian Probation Service in the Confederation of European Probation, enhancing its international visibility and fostering best practice exchanges.

The efforts to promote collaboration among state agencies on probation and penitentiary services, emphasising interagency and interdisciplinary cooperation, will also continue.

The Steering Committee will carry on refining project plans comprehensively and inclusively. This commitment supports our shared goal with projects' partners to achieve meaningful and sustainable development in human rights and justice in Armenia.

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 17 June 2024