On
December 23, on the initiative of the Human Rights Defender, a discussion was
held regarding the issues of the use of special measures, physical force, and
weapons in penitentiary institutions and detention centers.
As
part of the activities of the National Preventive Mechanism, the Defender has
presented an ad hoc report.
Opening
remarks were delivered by the Human Rights Defender of Armenia, Ms. Anahit
Manasyan, the UNDP Resident Representative in Armenia, Ms. Natia Natsvlishvili,
and the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Armenia, Mr. Armen Ghazaryan.
"In
the report, we addressed various issues, presented practical examples, and
offered recommendations. First and foremost, I would like to emphasize that our
studies show that there is a lack of legal regulations that align with
international standards in this field, which is a serious problem. Furthermore,
there have been almost no public discussions on this topic. From this
perspective, it is extremely necessary to hold meetings in this format,"
said Ms. Manasyan.
According
to the Defender, effective cooperation with the responsible authorities is key
to providing appropriate solutions to the issues. It is also crucial for the
representatives of the competent bodies to have proper knowledge, participate
regularly in training courses, and apply methodological guidelines that are in
line with international standards in their work.
Ms.
Laura Gasparyan, the Head of the Department implementing the functions of the
National Preventive Mechanism in the Human Rights Defender’s Office, presented
the report and emphasized that, in terms of ensuring the absolute prohibition
of torture, it is essential to implement and improve effective procedures,
including legislative reforms, which remain problematic.
"Although
we have raised this issue for years, no significant changes have been made. We
have tried to present the challenges in this ad hoc report. The report provides
a detailed analysis of the field, presenting specific examples and
recommendations for improving the sphere and aligning it with international
standards. Our primary goal is to prevent torture and ill-treatment," said
the Defender’s representative.
Members
of the Parliament of Armenia, representatives of state bodies, civil society,
ambassadors accredited to Armenia and representatives of embassies took part in
the discussion.
During
the workshop, participants also addressed practical issues commonly encountered
in the field and discussed potential solutions.
At
the conclusion of the event, Human Rights Defender Ms. Anahit Manasyan thanked
international partners, embassy representatives, state bodies, the Chamber of
Advocates, and NGO representatives for their willingness to address human
rights issues and support their resolution.
The
event was organized within the framework of the program "Promotion of
Human Rights Protection and Strengthening of National Institutions" funded
by the EU and implemented by UNDP, UNICEF and UNFPA.
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