Minister of Justice Artak Zeynalyan visits "Armavir" Penitentiary Institution

Today, Minister of Justice Artak Zeynalyan toured "Armavir" Penitentiary Institution, accompanied by Head of the Penitentiary Service of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia Artyom Mkhoyan.

During the tour, the first meeting was with the staff of the penitentiary institution, and in his speech addressed to the staff, the Minister noted that the public had great expectations from the penitentiary system and that, throughout the years, the public has formed stereotypical perceptions about the Service ensuring execution of punishment for both objective and subjective motives. Minister Zeynalyan underlined that the reforms implemented at the Penitentiary Service must also become visible to the public and that the current Government had the political will and motivation to implement those reforms.

Afterwards, during a tour at “Armavir” Penitentiary Institution, Minister Zeynalyan, accompanied by Head of the Penitentiary Service Artyom Mkhoyan and Head of “Armavir” Penitentiary Institution Khachik Harutyunyan, got acquainted with the cells designed for short visits and, on the spot, discussed possible options for improving them for the purpose of ensuring direct contact of the convicts with their relatives. The tour continued in the medical unit of the Penitentiary Institution where the Minister was reported about the opportunities of primary healthcare of convicts at the Penitentiary Institution. The Minister also visited the kitchen of the Penitentiary Institution, got acquainted with the food list and conditions for preparing it, and in the library, he got acquainted with the employees of the “Legal Education and Rehabilitation Programmes Implementation Centre” SNCO of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia, as well as with the attendance indicators of the convicts.

The tour of the Minister continued in the 1^st, 2^nd and 4^th blocks of "Armavir" Penitentiary Institution where he, on the spot, got acquainted with the conditions of confinement of the convicts in prison cells, the duration of walks and a number of other issues.

During the tour, Artak Zeynalyan also had a short talk with some life-sentenced prisoners and listened to them, trying to help them within the scope of his rights and powers.