ARMENIA | Report on the rights of women, minors and foreigners in the penitentiary system

The Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia has published an ad hoc report on ensuring the rights of women, minors, and foreigners deprived of their liberty in the penitentiary system. The English summary of this report is now available.

The Report is based on the results of issues and recommendations recorded during unannounced visits to “Abovyan” penitentiary institution in March and June 2022, as well as other previous visits conducted by representatives of the Human Rights Defender’s office, as well as other independent experts of the Armenian NPM, including doctors, sociologists and lawyers.

The Report is also based on all the individual complaints addressed to the Human Rights Defender regarding ensuring the rights of women and minors deprived of their liberty, the results of their discussion, as well as the studies of publications by mass media, international institutions, and non-governmental organizations. 

The office of the Human Rights Defender has a constitutional mandate as the country’s National Preventive Mechanism (NPM). Article 28 of the Constitutional Law defines the powers and possibility of the Human Rights Defender to conduct periodic visits, as well as visits as needed to penitentiary institutions.

Source: Office of the Human Rights Defender, Armenia