OSCE Office supports public monitoring of conditions in Armenian Defence Ministry's disciplinary cells and penal battalion

YEREVAN, 20 July 2010 - The results of an OSCE-supported study on the conditions of persons deprived of their liberty in disciplinary cells and the penal battalion of the Armenian Defence Ministry were the focus of a discussion organized in Yerevan today. 

The study was conducted in 2009 by the non-governmental organization the Civil Society Institute in co-operation with the Defence Ministry and with the support of the OSCE Office in Yerevan. The monitoring team visited all disciplinary cells and the penal battalion, observed the conditions and treatment of persons deprived of their liberty, reviewed relevant legislative acts and suggested a number of recommendations.

In particular, the report proposed bringing detention conditions in line with the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners and European Prison Rules, as well as introducing legislative amendments to ensure long-term visits to convicted persons in the battalion. It also discussed in detail the use of isolation as a form of disciplinary sanction.

The report also contains updated information from the Defence Ministry on the situation, legislative proposals and practical changes that have been made in the period since monitoring was concluded.

"This monitoring project shows the Defence Ministry's commitment to ensuring transparency and confirmed the government's readiness to establish a dialogue with civil society on public monitoring of places where persons are deprived of their liberty. We believe this report will also help the authorities to advance legislation and practice regulating the rights of armed forces personnel," said Ambassador Sergey Kapinos, the Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan.

The President of the Civil Society Institute, Arman Danielyan, added "We have come up with a number of recommendations, among them the suggestion to create a regular public monitoring group for the Ministry of Defence disciplinary cells and battalion, as has already been established for the monitoring of penitentiary institutions and police detention centres. The current legislation provides for it and our study and co-operation with the authorities showed that it can be done. We also noted that the facilities of the penal battalion are unsatisfactory and need to be changed."

The event brought together representatives from the Defence Ministry, the Standing Committee on Defence, National Security and Internal Affairs of the National Assembly, civil society organizations, foreign diplomatic missions and international organizations.

The publication was supported by the OSCE Office in Yerevan to promote the human rights of the persons deprived of their liberty and the armed forces personnel.