Under the leadership of Deputy minster MoJ a meeting was organized with local and international organizations that provide training in the field of the penitentiary.
We collaborate with the Armenian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to provide expert support to the implementation of the 2023-2025 National Human Rights Action Plan (NHRAP). Our work contributes to key reform strategies in Armenia: the National Human Rights Strategy (2023-2025); the Strategy for Judicial and Legal reform (2022-2026); and lastly, the Strategy of the Penitentiary and Probation Field in Armenia (2023-2026).
Recent examples of our support to the justice sector include:
• In November 2024, we conducted analysis of best international practices on addressing mild manifestations of hate speech, as well as suggested how this principle could be introduced in local legislation and what types of administrative or civil liability measures could be envisaged for it.
• In September 2024, we conducted a review of best international practices on the amicus curie principle, which helped the MoJ develop and circulate respective legislation.
• With the Centre for Implementation of Legal Education and Rehabilitation Programmes, in 2024, we co-created four thematic modules included in the mandatory annual training programme for penitentiary officers.
• In December 2024, we launched the development of a comprehensive training manual for the Centre for Implementation of Legal Education and Rehabilitation Programmes that will allow them to evaluate the impact of their modules and employ a unified approach to the development of training modules.
• In 2023, a manual on “Human Rights Protection in Pre-Trial Criminal Proceedings” was developed in cooperation with the Armenian Academy of Justice and piloted among candidate judges, prosecutors and investigators. In May 2024, a training of trainers was carried out for trainers at the Academy of Justice on the topic of the manual.
• Support has been provided to the National Preventive Mechanism Unit at the Human Rights Defender’s Office enhanced to develop its capacity in monitoring and reporting on conditions of detention in line with international and European human rights standards, including development of practical tools.
• We have translated and validated the revised UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules) and the UN Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (the Bangkok Rules) into Armenian.
• We developed a study on how to better protect human rights activists and defenders in line with international standards and good practices internationally. In June 2021, the study was presented at a stakeholder consultation with Armenian ministries and civil society organisations and future implementation measures were discussed.
• We created a set of guidelines on how to legally determine whether mistreatment constitutes “severe physical pain or mental suffering”, a key element of the UN Convention against Torture that has been adopted into Armenian law. These guidelines were shared with state agencies and civil society, and in January 2022 a session was held for instructors at the Armenian Academy of Justice to enable them to incorporate the guidelines into relevant training for judges and prosecutors.
• We developed a study to support establishment of legislation prohibiting child corporal punishment. In November 2021, we organised a consultation with representatives from state ministries, civil society, the office of the Armenian Human Rights Defender and UNICEF Armenia. The study put forward proposals for legislative amendments as well as other implementation measures drawing up international experiences in successfully addressing violence against children.
A workshop on “Human Rights Protection in Pre-Trial Criminal Proceedings for Prosecutors” was held at the Academy of Justice. The workshop was attended by the candidates of investigator and prosecutor and was led by international expert Lyal S. Sunga and local expert, Arsen Nikoghosyan