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  • NKR: Monitoring Of Prisons In NKR

    MONITORING OF PRISONS IN NKR

    Azat Artsakh - Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
    01 June 05

    The Centre for Civil Undertakings operating in Stepanakert since
    October 2002 directs its efforts toward forming a civil society,
    developing democratic institutions and defending the basic rights and
    liberties of the citizens in Karabakh. The director of the centre is
    Albert Voskanian. The main direction in the work of the centre is
    monitoring of prisons in Nagorno Karabakh. In 2003 the Centre got
    the permission of the NKR authorities to visit the penitentiaries
    and hold regular monitoring there. The results of monitoring are
    reflected in the report which is extended to the Council of Europe,
    the UN Commission on Human Rights, the International Red Cross, the
    OSCE and other international and human rights organizations, as well
    as the relevant organizations of Nagorno Karabakh. The Centre for
    Civil Undertakings endorses the abolition of capital punishment in
    NKR in autumn of 2003. The Prison of Shushi situated on the outskirts
    of the town of Shushi, has been operating since 1995 on the basis
    of the local prison (the prison was built in 1896). The prison has
    been guided by the Correctional Code, the Internal Regulations and
    the orders of the Police of Nagorno Karabakh. The prison institutes
    5 regimes: minimum-security, medium-security, special, prison and
    maximum-security. The prison was designed for 350 inmates. The jail
    under the Police of Nagorno Karabakh is located in Stepanakert, near
    the building of the department of home affairs of the police. The
    building (built in 1989), consists of 31 lock-ups, 6 cells for 2
    inmates, 3 solitary sells, and 15 administrative units. The cells
    are situated along the both sides of the long corridor on all the
    three floors. The jail is separated from the administrative part of
    the building with bars. It was designed for 200 prisoners. It is a
    minimum-security jail, as instituted by the corresponding decision
    of the Police of Nagorno Karabakh. According to the director of
    the Centre for Civil Undertakings, over the past two years the
    situation has improved. The moral and psychological state of the
    inmates is improving. There is growing trust among the inmates in
    the Centre. They often tell the members of the centre about their
    problems. The centre discusses their problems with the staff of
    the jail to solve the problem, if possible, on the spot. "We are,
    in a way, intermediaries," says Albert Voskanian. The psychologist
    of the centre constantly works with the inmates, which also produces
    positive results. On the initiative of the Centre the rights of the
    inmates were placed beside the list of their duties. Besides, the
    centre gave a computer to the inmates of the jail. This is the first
    case in the entire South Caucasus. Together with Mesrop Mashtots
    University the centre organizes computer courses for the staff of
    the jail (the university cooperates with the centre) who will in
    their turn teach the inmates. After the courses the inmates will
    take an exam and receive certificates. The centre collected books
    for the prison of Shushi and the jail of Stepanakert, as well as
    organized subscription of newspapers and magazines. When needed,
    the centre supplies the prisoners with medicine. According to
    A. Voskanian, who has visited prisons in Armenia, Georgia, one of
    the Azerbaijani prisons in the Soviet Union, the penitentiaries of
    Nagorno Karabakh positively differ from them, although they are far
    from the European standards. A. Voskanian added that an Azerbaijani
    human rights defender who visited the prison of Shushi twice stated
    that the conditions in the prisons of Karabakh are better than in the
    Azerbaijani prisons. However, the prisons of Karabakh, and especially
    the administrative bodies need fundamental reforms. Another important
    reform is the transfer of penitentiaries from the jurisdiction of
    the Police to the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice. During
    the monitoring the prisoners make complaints, usually of the prison
    regime. However, in order to change the regime, it is necessary to
    change the laws first. They do not complain of food. The inmates have
    three meals a day, and once a month their relatives may send them 50 kg
    parcels with food. If they do not have relatives, the Red Cross takes
    care of them. The latest monitoring was held on May 21. The monitoring
    is held once a month, but in April the Centre failed to hold it for
    a number of reasons. Like during the previous visits, the members of
    the Centre talked to the prisoners. The psychologist is currently
    working with four inmates. According to Albert Voskanian, several
    problems were solved on the spot, the others need time. The director
    of the Centre is satisfied with the results of the latest meeting.

    EVIKA BABAYAN. 01-06-2005
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