Video-recording of interrogations, introduction of house arrest, reduction of duration of court cases — Grigor Minasyan presents programmes implemented under the Strategy on Human Rights Protection

Minister of Justice Grigor Minasyan presented the Report "On the progress and results of implementation of the Programme of the Government of Armenia (2021-2026) in 2023" during the extraordinary session of the Standing Committee on Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs of the National Assembly. The Minister touched upon the new 2023-2025 Action Plan arising from the Strategy on Human Rights Protection and noted that, as part of the actions to be carried out in 2023, training sessions devoted to democracy and the rule of law have already been conducted for a number of teachers, a new draft Law "On enforcement proceedings" has been adopted, which contains new regulations related to compulsory enforcement of the child visit request. Performance evaluation of actions arising from the previous 2020-2022 Strategy on Human Rights Protection has been summed up, and it amounted to about 81%.

Grigor Minasyan stated that starting from 2023, all types of interrogations are video recorded, which serve as an additional guarantee for protection of the rights of persons who are interrogated. Reforms and renovation works have been performed at penitentiary institutions; conditions for the confinement of convicts have been improved. Educational programmes have been implemented for persons deprived of liberty, and about 150 individuals have benefitted from the programmes.

On 1 January 2023, "house arrest" and "administrative supervision" measures of restraint were introduced. The Minister of Justice noted that in the course of one year, 870 persons are serving their sentences at home or under administrative supervision instead of being at a penitentiary institution.

Minister of Justice Grigor Minasyan also answered the questions of the Deputies.