Emergency and Inhumane Conditions at 'Abovyan' Penitentiary: Observers Group

One of the sections of the 'Abovyan' penitentiary in Armenia is in emergency and deplorable condition. This was announced today during a press conference by Zarouhi Hovhannisyan, the head of the group of public observers monitoring penitentiary institutions and bodies under the Ministry of Justice of Armenia.

She noted that during a planned visit, they observed the housing section. “There are different buildings in the 'Abovyan' penitentiary, and conditions vary. The conditions in the part of the building where pre-trial detainees and individuals under closed-type detention are located are poor. This section is the most populated; however, this building is quite old and requires major renovations. We are not raising this issue for the first time,” said Hovhannisyan.

The observer emphasized that the Ministry of Justice and the penitentiary service had allocated certain funds for partial repairs and the drainage system. However, due to current weather conditions, the drainage problem has arisen again.

A decision was made to temporarily stop using the first floor, where conditions are inhumane, which houses both quarantine cells and punishment cells, as well as penitentiary staff. The ministry reported that major renovations are planned for this facility in 2022.

The head of the Department for the Development of Criminal Legislation, Penitentiary, and Probation Policy at the Ministry of Justice, Arpi Sargsyan, mentioned that the 'Abovyan' penitentiary is included in the point concerning major renovations within the developed strategy. “By 2023, we plan to resolve all issues related to building problems. Specifically, we want to ensure that there are no prison-like conditions for minors,” said Sargsyan.

Certain construction works were carried out at the aforementioned penitentiary in 2019. The representative of the ministry also added that in 2020, there was a reallocation of financial resources in the state budget due to the coronavirus pandemic, as well as the 44-day war in Artsakh.

Currently, discussions are ongoing with partners in the penitentiary service to partially address the problems in the foreseeable future. Ruben Darbinyan, head of the Penitentiary Service, also stated that apart from the renovation of the drainage system, the project includes provisions for individuals with mobility issues to properly use the toilets within the penitentiary.

“It is planned to renovate all toilets and carry out external and internal finishing works. The funds are already available for 2022, and they will be allocated first to the 'Abovyan' penitentiary. He emphasized that construction works in other penitentiary institutions are ongoing, with renovations of toilets, drainage systems, and more,” he added.