Based on the applications addressed to the Human Rights Defender, as well as the calls received by the hot line of the Defender’s Office, unannounced visits were conducted to Nubarashen and Vardashen penitentiary institutions of the Ministry of Justice.
Interviews were conducted with 15 persons deprived of liberty, documents related to their rights and living conditions were examined.
Most of the complaints of persons deprived of liberty concern impartial investigation of criminal cases. Some of the convicts claimed that judicial acts concerning them were the result of non-objective and unilateral investigation.
A number of convicts have noted that the reports made for the early conditional release of a prisoner have negative conclusions, as a result of which motion is not brought to the court for consideration of the question of their early release.
Some of the complaints of the convicts concerned the application of the Law on Amnesty which came into force on 6 November 2018.
The Defender’s representatives had private interviews with those who went on hunger strike, examined issues with regard to their health care and the rights conditioned by the hunger strike.
The registered issues were discussed with the administrations of penitentiary institutions. An agreement was reached to resolve them within the framework of further cooperation.
The Human Rights Defender attaches importance to cooperation with administrations of penitentiary institutions.
At the same time, official letters will be sent to the competent state bodies in connection with the issues raised by the persons deprived of liberty.