Ani Samsonyan Proposes Closure of Yerevan-Center, Nubarashen Prisons and NSS Isolation Facility

Ani Samsonyan, a member of the National Assembly representing the 'Bright Armenia' faction, has presented proposals regarding the government decision on the "National Strategy for the Protection of Human Rights of the Republic of Armenia and the Action Plan for 2020-2022".

"1. Action. I propose closing the 'Yerevan-Center' prison and the NSS isolation facility. Justification. The deplorable condition of the NSS isolation facilities has been discussed many times. Former Minister of Justice Artak Zeynalyan initiated their closure. I propose to ensure the continuity of this idea or process.

2. Action. I propose to definitively close the 'Nubarashen' penitentiary facility. Justification. The 'Nubarashen' penitentiary facility is unfit for operation despite current renovation works. On February 12, in response to my question during the parliamentary discussion of the government's program, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced a plan for the closure of this facility, leaving the timelines uncertain.

3. Action. I propose to ensure an impartial, swift, and professional investigation into the alleged murders or suicides of military personnel who died in non-combat conditions.

4. Action. I propose to establish a procedure for investigative actions involving minors through the Criminal Procedure Code or develop special guidelines for minors to overcome the damage caused by criminal acts, thus eliminating double victimization. Justification. Conducting criminal proceedings or other investigative actions involving minor victims or witnesses requires a special approach that is not currently implemented in practice. A legal and practical example is that developing mechanisms for special training of investigators is especially important during the investigation of cases involving minors subjected to domestic and sexual violence.

5. Action. I propose to develop strategies and monitoring mechanisms for ensuring the health of the population and ecological safety in the context of mining activities. Justification. Mining is a dominant economic sector in Armenia, leading to environmental pollution and desertification and remains an environmental super-problem. To this day, no responsible governmental body has conducted a strategic study to assess the health of communities affected by mining. Meanwhile, protecting the health of the population and ensuring living conditions are inalienable parts of the right to life.

6. Action. I propose to develop a program for integrating prisoners nearing the end of their sentences into the labor market. Justification. Integration into the labor market and the opportunity to work with dignity are crucial for the resocialization of individuals sentenced to deprivation of liberty.

7. Action. I propose to take measures to separate smoking and non-smoking detainees in penitentiary institutions. Justification. The rights of non-smoking persons are violated in Armenian penitentiaries. Smokers and non-smokers are often kept in the same cell, which jeopardizes peaceful coexistence and the health of detainees.

8. Action. I propose to develop a general management concept for specialized institutions designed for individuals with mental health issues. Justification. Specialized institutions fall under the management of different departments, leading to ineffective governance and poor oversight in the sector. There is no unified policy for the management of closed institutions, resulting in numerous abuses and omissions within the system.

9. Action. I propose to develop a national program for the safety and health protection of workers. Justification. The conditions for ensuring the health and safety of workers are inadequate in many public and private organizations operating in Armenia today. Workers, due to poor working conditions, may have health issues and not speak out for fear of conflict with their employer or often cannot prove to their employer that the cause of their health damages is the unfavorable work environment.

10. Action. I propose to review the quantity of medications allocated for individuals with mental health problems in closed institutions and for detainees in prisons. Justification. Complaints directed to me and are based on the 2018 report of the Human Rights Defender as a national preventative mechanism indicate that the quantity of medications provided in closed institutions, including penitentiaries and psychiatric hospitals, is insufficient, and expired medications are also being kept.

11. Action. I propose to ensure continuous monitoring and surveillance at border crossing points by the customs authorities to protect the rights of citizens and foreigners. Justification. Complaints from citizens regarding the abuses of customs authorities have not ceased following the revolution. Notably, the complaints concern unwarranted administrative actions, queues at customs, bureaucratic hurdles expecting bribes, and irregularities in inspections. I must note that the use of mobile surveillance in the case of the Road Police significantly improved their work and reduced, if not eliminated, corruption risks and abuses.

12. Action. I propose to take effective measures to make the meetings of school pedagogical councils and management councils transparent to the public. Justification. I receive complaints that school management councils do not ensure transparency and accountability in their decision-making processes, do not provide records, thus violating not only the freedom of parents, teachers, and other interested parties to access information but also the management principles of the school.

13. Action. I propose to implement a revamped and flexible system of criteria for school principals in educational institutions. Justification. Studies conducted by the Supervision Body of the Ministry of Education indicate a significant shortage of qualified teachers in the regions of Armenia, especially in border and small communities, which leads to the aforementioned violations and deprives children of the opportunity to learn separate subjects. It is evident that maintaining the established criteria for pedagogical qualifications (bachelor’s, master’s, or certified professional education) or higher education and at least 5 years of work experience in pedagogical (or teaching) activities over the past ten years creates crisis situations in small communities, and differentiated approaches arise from the interest in maintaining legality and protecting the educational rights of children in the field of general education.

14. Action. I propose to develop a strategic national food program to be implemented in kindergartens and general education institutions. Justification. Cases of child poisoning have become more frequent in general education institutions and kindergartens. Starting from October 16, the RA Food Safety Inspection Body has carried out control measures in all schools of Artashat, Ararat Province, and found violations related to food safety in all. Educational institutions in other communities, including those in Yerevan, are not immune to this issue threatening children's lives and health.

15. Action. I propose to establish a monitoring group for two years to oversee the behavior of children who have returned home from boarding institutions and their families. Each family should be assigned a support and oversight group consisting of a social worker, a representative from the community or regional administration, a psychologist, and a representative of the Human Rights Defender. Justification. According to deep assessments of children from four boarding institutions and their families, among about 260 children, only in 20 cases do specialists find it advisable not to return to their biological families, whereas all others can live in their families. At the same time, the economic opportunities of biological families and the moral, psychological, and living conditions in the families are problematic. Strong monitoring mechanisms are needed to ensure that the situation is monitored and outcomes followed after a child returns home.

16. Action. I propose to develop a program to ensure the engagement of elderly citizens in nursing homes and homes for the elderly. Justification. There is a lack of engagement among the elderly in nursing homes, which negatively impacts their mental and physical health. The engagement program, with economic, cultural, and educational components, will contribute to the improvement of elderly care and well-being.

17. Action. I propose to create two new positions in the Human Rights Defender's office: a community representative and a specialist. Justification. In cases of improper or unwarranted administrative actions by the Yerevan municipality, municipality administrations within communities, as well as many issues arising in the community stemming from their mandates, citizens require protection to be conducted swiftly and professionally. I consider this within the scope of the powers and capabilities of the Human Rights Defender's office and propose to involve two specialists for this purpose.

18. Action. I propose to develop a new concept for state and local self-governing bodies to ensure citizens' right to access information, aimed at responding to citizens' requests and letters. Justification. There are numerous complaints about the failure of the state system to respond appropriately to citizens' requests and letters.

19. Action. I propose to target proactive young people in communities in the fight against domestic violence with the support of local self-governance, forming volunteer groups working with local self-governance and state authorities through awareness campaigns. Justification. Networking awareness campaigns are of vital importance in fighting domestic violence, which should be carried out with the efforts of young people while educating and shaping their intolerant behavior towards domestic violence," suggested Ani Samsonyan.