OSCE contributes to strengthening human rights protection in Armenia’s penitentiary institutions
AGHVERAN, Armenia, 14 September 2016 – An OSCE-supported two-day training course on the protection of human rights in penitentiaries concluded today in Aghveran, Kotayk region, Armenia.
Some 25 penitentiary servants and members of the Monitoring Group conducting public oversight in penitentiary institutions, specialists of the Department for Prevention of Torture and Ill-Treatment and the Rapid Response Department of the Human Rights Defender’s Office enhanced their knowledge of both international and national human rights standards on treatment of persons in detention in the framework of training organized by the Helsinki Committee of Armenia with the support of the OSCE Office in Yerevan.
International and local experts conducted sessions on international standards of prevention of torture and ill-treatment, including those of the UN, Council of Europe, OSCE commitments, European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) case law and international prison standards. Participants also discussed ways of improving monitoring, treatment and conditions in detention facilities.
“We conceptualized this training not only as a capacity building exercise on international conventions, but also as a unique opportunity for penitentiary officers to meet representatives of penitentiary monitoring groups,” said Radka Rubilina, Human Rights Officer at the OSCE Office in Yerevan.
Avetik Ishkhanyan, Chairperson of the Helsinki Committee of Armenia said: “The course will strengthen the newly-employed penitentiary servants’ knowledge of human rights standards, help them change attitudes toward persons in detention and overall contribute to the professional capacity of the penitentiary system.”
The event was part of a series of training courses held by the OSCE Office in Yerevan in co-operation with the Penitentiary Department of Armenia’s Justice Ministry and the Helsinki Committee of Armenia aimed at contributing to reforms of criminal justice and penal institutions in Armenia. A similar course was conducted on 11-12 September, and another one will be held on 15-16 of September. The training series will provide training for some 75 representatives of monitoring groups and penitentiary officers.