On November 16, Human Rights Defender Kristinne
Grigoryan and Laura Gasparyan, Coordinator of the National Preventive Mechanism
Implementation - Head of Department for Prevention of Torture and Ill-Treatment
at the Human Rights Defender’s Office, presented an ad-hoc public report on the
“On Ensuring the Rights of Women, Minors, and Foreigners Deprived of their
Liberty in the Penitentiary System.”
The report was based on a visit by Human Rights
Defender to Abovyan Penitentiary Institution in March 2022, followed by an
unannounced monitoring visit on June 13.
It was reported that certain sections of the “Abovyan”
penitentiary institution were in extremely poor condition with unacceptable
sanitary and hygienic standards.
“There were no special cells or shelters designed for
detained or convicted pregnant women or those with children under the age of
three, the facility failed to provide appropriate conditions that take into
account the specific needs of children. Not all cells were equipped to meet the
particular requirements for child care and development, such as the absence of
cradles or children's beds, as well as bathing and other care facilities,” said
Grigoryan during the press conference.
It was also registered that the medical service division
of the penitentiary institution was operating under
a heavy schedule, with several shortcomings, including issues with the organization
of medication distribution.
Minors deprived of liberty and children living with
their parents in the penitentiary institution were denied
proper access to first aid requiring medical intervention. The Defender also registered
expired medication stored in the penitentiary institution.
It was noted that the right to informed consent for
treatment and monitoring of its implementation was not properly ensured for
individuals with mental health issues deprived of liberty.
Further shortcomings were identified regarding the
organization of food, bathing and personal hygiene, laundry, walks and
activities, short and long-term visits, and external communication. It was
noted that the food given to adults is also given to children under three years
of age with almost the same frequency and composition. “Only one child was
provided with baby food, and even that did not comply with the standards,” the Defender
emphasized.
Regarding bathing, Grigoryan pointed out that there
were no appropriate facilities for bathing children in cell conditions, and
bathing was organized in common areas: “Children's bathing is organized in the
same conditions as adults, which is unacceptable.
In practice, women attempt to bathe their children in
their rooms using small kettles, which remains problematic.”
Special attention was also given to the rights of
foreigners deprived of their liberty. For these individuals, the language
barrier and the lack of translation services in practice made them extremely
vulnerable during the execution of their sentences.
Additionally, the gender distribution of staff at the
“Abovyan” penitentiary institution was concerning. Out of 135 employees, only
36 were women, 13 of them were civilian staff members: “Given the
circumstances, this is considered poor practice, especially for the majority of
detained women, and does not contribute to the effective provision of services,”
the Defender stated.
Following the visit, the Defender’s Office made 66
specific recommendations to address the identified issues. Discussions were
held with state bodies. “After our visit, the Ministry of Justice informed us,
large-scale renovations had begun in the penitentiary institution. I personally
visited in October and saw that the renovation is underway. However, renovation
or addressing poor physical conditions represents only a small part of the
overall problems. The detention conditions imply the entire complex, regarding
which we have presented 66 proposals,” Grigoryan concluded.
Report
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