The incarcerated person-public defender connection will be unimpeded: another step in the transition from punitive justice to restorative justice

A special room in accordance with international standards has been opened in the "Armavir" penitentiary facility, the purpose of which is to ensure the unhindered communication between the imprisoned person and the public defender through online communication.

At the opening ceremony, Deputy Minister of Justice Levon Balyan thanked Alexis Haftvani, the head of the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) of the US Embassy in Armenia, and Franco Sanchez-Hidalgo, Director of Programmes at the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) for their support.

Levon Balyan emphasized that the ministry attaches importance to the reforms of the justice sector and this program aims to coordinate with the public defender's office, ensure the rights of persons deprived of their freedom and take another step on the way to transition from punitive justice to restorative justice.

Head of INL Alexis Haftvani, Head of the Chamber of Advocates Simon Babayan, and other attendees emphasized the implementation of such programs and expressed their willingness to continue cooperation for the reform of the sector.

The pilot program was implemented with the funding of the United States of America by INL and IDLO within the framework of the "Strengthening the Integrity of the Criminal Justice Sector in Armenia" ("IACJ II") project.