Conviction Sentences Issued Against Prison Service Employees

The Republic of Armenia's Ministry of Justice has seen conviction sentences issued against three individuals for apparent official crimes committed by officials of correctional institutions. Specifically, during the criminal case investigated by the National Security Service's investigative department, initiated on July 19, 2019, a charge was presented under Article 308, Part 1 of the RA Criminal Code against the former head of the "Artik" correctional facility. This charge was based on the misconduct that occurred on June 28, 2019, when the individual, driven by personal interest and with the intent of maintaining friendly relations with an inmate, abused his official authority by allowing a prohibited item to enter the facility.

Despite being aware that the beverage addressed to inmate V. G. contained a banned substance, he did not take any action to prevent or confiscate the prohibited item. Instead, upon the inmate's request, he permitted the staff responsible for accepting parcels and facilitating visits in the relevant room to receive the item, which was subsequently delivered to the inmate the same day. A separate part of this criminal case was sent to the Court of General Jurisdiction of Shirak Province with an indictment conclusion from the Prosecutor General's Office, resulting in a conviction.

In another case investigated by the Special Investigation Service, it was established that various types and quantities of narcotics were transferred and circulated within the facilities of the RA Ministry of Justice's "Nubarashen" and "Armavir" correctional institutions with the collusion or direct participation of certain staff members.

Specifically, it was revealed that two employees from the security department of "Nubarashen" Correctional Institution, responsible for external security of an inmate receiving inpatient medical treatment at "Erebuni" Medical Center, acted carelessly, falling asleep during their duty hours. Taking advantage of this oversight, the inmate attempted to escape from the medical center. A criminal case was initiated concerning this incident, and the two employees were charged under Article 315, Part 1 of the RA Criminal Code. On December 24, 2019, this criminal case, along with the indictment, was forwarded to the first instance Court of General Jurisdiction of Yerevan, which also resulted in a conviction against the staff members.

It is noteworthy that given the frequency of similar incidents, the Prosecutor General's Office's supervisory department issued a request to the head of the Prison Service to take measures to eliminate such phenomena in correctional facilities and report back on the outcomes. This memorandum was discussed thoroughly within the Prison Service. According to a letter received from the Prison Service, specific instructions were provided by the head and deputy heads of the service to relevant divisions during consultations intended to prevent similar occurrences, with strict supervision established to ensure compliance. Additionally, it was communicated that collaborative actions have been undertaken by the Ministries of Justice and Health to enhance hospital medical assistance and services for detained individuals and inmates in several large civil health establishments, ensuring proper oversight of their behavior.

In particular, a process has begun to reconstruct and upgrade relevant departments in healthcare facilities according to the technical specifications for the security and safety of inmates or detained individuals receiving treatment there.