Human Rights Protections in Armenia’s Penitentiary System

The Armenian branch of the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (RWI) and the Human Rights Defender Office of Armenia (HRDO) are working together to enhance the country’s human rights protections in Armenia’s penitentiary system, with a particular focus on improving oversight of penitentiary institutions.

On 23-24 September 2024, a two-day workshop took place in Aghveran, concentrating on updating the National Prevention Mechanism (NPM) checklists. These checklists are crucial tools used by HRDO to inspect Armenia’s penitentiary facilities and ensure compliance with human rights standards. The workshop allowed participants to critically review and refine the checklists, to make inspections more efficient and practical.

In a follow-up meeting on September 26, representatives from RWI and HRDO convened to discuss the development of a comprehensive staff handbook. This handbook is being designed to clarify the roles, responsibilities, and operational procedures for HRDO personnel. It will also provide essential guidance on human rights principles and their application in Armenia’s context, further equipping staff to effectively protect human rights protections in Armenia’s penitentiary system.

The updates to the NPM checklists and the creation of the staff handbook represent significant steps forward in strengthening Armenia’s human rights protection mechanisms. By improving the tools and guidance available to the Human Rights Defender Office, these reforms will enhance transparency, accountability, and the effectiveness of inspections in penitentiary institutions.

The collaboration between RWI Armenia and HRDO is part of a broader effort to build stronger human rights institutions in Armenia, with a focus on practical reforms that ensure human rights are upheld even in challenging environments like penitentiaries.

Read more about RWI’s work in Armenia here.

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