Tuesday, 15 December 2015
PM Inspects Conditions in New Block of Armavir Penitentiary
Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan visited today the Armavir penitentiary, where 4 new buildings for 800 inmates have been commissioned.
Accompanied by public officials, MPs, Head of EU Delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Peter Svitalski, U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Richard Mills and representatives from other international organizations, Hovik Abrahamyan toured the buildings getting acquainted with the conditions available to inmates in the new international standards-compliant facilities.
Minister of Justice Arpine Hovhannisyan emphasized that our country attaches ever greater importance to the reliable protection of the most important democratic values - human rights and the citizens’ legitimate interests, as well as the availability of predictable mechanisms to ensure the implementation of these values. “It is crucial for us to build up such institutions as may help us meet this goal. In this regard, we should focus on the conditions and the peculiarities for prisoners' detention.” The Minister stressed the need for the respect of their fundamental rights and providing decent conditions for them to serve a sentence. She went on to note that the ongoing constitutional and judicial reforms are aimed at improving the legal framework applicable in the judiciary system.
Thanking Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan for cooperation, Head of EU Delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Peter Svitalski stressed that the EU is committed to helping Armenia push ahead with the reforms. “Taking this opportunity, I wish to reaffirm that the European Union will continue to support the Republic of Armenia and the Ministry of Justice, in particular, in their efforts. This structure provides a wonderful opportunity to implement the recommendations of the Council of Europe, supporting the strengthening of the rule of law,” Mr. Svitalski said highlighting the need for the provision of high-quality services – educational, medical and others – at the Armavir penitentiary.
U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Richard Mills said the construction of the Armavir penitentiary is a step forward on the way to reforming the judiciary and penitentiary institutions in Armenia.
Noting that the project was co-funded by the U.S. government, the European Union and the OSCE, the Ambassador emphasized: “We were able to make a contribution, since we have a strong partnership in Armenia in the face of the Justice Ministry’s penitentiary system. I would like to commend the Prime Minister and the Minister of Justice for closer focus and dedication to reform. The U.S. government is proud to collaborate with our partners in the field of the ingoing penitentiary reform.”
Thus, the whole circuit of infrastructure necessary for the Armavir penitentiary’s smooth operations - quarantine, cells and the hospital section – has been brought to completion.
The construction started in 2007 and was implemented in two stages – 2007-2009 and 2009-2015. In 2014, a residential segment for 400 inmates was commissioned at the Armavir penitentiary, including the administrative, quarantine and hospital sections. The regime zone features 23 cells for 46 prisoners; there is a laundry room, furnished with all the necessary equipment.
There are fully equipped 13 rooms for lasting interviews, along with a separate children’s room. Each cell is equipped with a sanitary unit. There are 8 standalone rooms intended for short interviews. The institution has 6 crafts rooms, a library staffed with around 3,200 pieces of literature and a computer lounge.
