Minister Zeynalyan meets with convicts and detained persons kept at ''Vanadzor'' Penitentiary Institution

On 2 October, Minister of Justice of the Republic of Armenia Artak Zeynalyan, accompanied by Head of the Penitentiary Service of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia Artyom Mkhoyan visited ''Vanadzor'' Penitentiary Institution, toured the Institution, got acquainted with the problems on the spot, gave relevant assignments and talked to the convicts and detained persons.

During the meeting with the staff of ''Vanadzor'' Penitentiary Institution, Minister Zeynalyan noted that the Penitentiary Service of the Ministry of Justice, on behalf of the Republic of Armenia, executes punishments imposed by courts which should be executed in such a way as to not humiliate the honour and dignity of a person and not to be a punishment not provided for by the Constitution and law. “It requires from each of us high personal and professional qualities. The policy has changed following the revolution that took place in Armenia, and the attitude should be human-centred. Every penitentiary officer is required to be responsible not only for himself or herself and on behalf of himself or herself, but also on behalf of the Institution, the Ministry of Justice and the Government of the Republic of Armenia. Therefore, my call and message to you, which I am sure the Head of the Penitentiary Service always transmits to you, is the following: remain alert and keep the honour of a penitentiary officer high," the Minister said and wished everyone good service and expressed hope that the persons kept at the Penitentiary Institution would especially feel the positive changes.

Afterwards, Artak Zeynalyan, together with the management of the Service, toured the premises of the Penitentiary Institution, visited the residential zone, the room for receiving deliverables and the cafeteria where Artak Zeynalyan got acquainted with the conditions for storing food, the day's menu and tasted the food prepared for the persons kept at penitentiary institutions.

Head of “Vanadzor” Penitentiary Institution Artak Hovhannisyan informed the Minister that the number of convicts and detained persons wishing to benefit from the food increased after the quality of the food was improved.

At the end of the visit, Minister Zeynalyan, accompanied by Director of the “Support to Prisoners” Foundation Marat Sevoyan also visited the bakery and the woodworking workshops operating in the premises of the Penitentiary Institution where convicts are also engaged for the purpose of making sure that they are occupied.