As we have already informed, the monitoring of the National Strategy for the Protection of Human Rights and its implementation Action Plan has been launched in the scope of the “Promoting Direct Democracy for Strengthening Human Rights in Armenia” project, and the first results of the monitoring have already been received. The program aims to provide the public with summary information on the monitoring results, addressing specific areas of the Action Plan each week. This week we will present to the public the work done by the RA Police and the RA Ministry of Defense within the framework of the action plan, which mainly refers to the spheres of the right to life, equality, the prohibition of torture, and the prohibition of discrimination.

According to the National Strategy for the Protection of Human Rights and the resulting Action Plan for 2020-2022, regular training on the topics of the domestic violence, violence against women (target indicator among the 10% of police officers), torture, inhuman or degrading treatment (target: 21 %), the right to a fair trial (target: 21%), equality, non-discrimination (target: 14%) and freedom of assembly (target: 24%).

According to the information provided by the Police, as of 31 July, 2020, a total of 78 officers were trained on the topics of domestic violence and violence against women, 48 on the topics of torture, inhuman or degrading treatment, 47 on the topics of equality and non-discrimination, and 81 on the topic of freedom of assembly. Training on the right to a fair trial has been postponed due to the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic in the country.

For the purpose of the protection of the rights and to prohibit torture, it is planned to install video recording means in 12 subdivisions of the RA Police and Military Police during the second half of 2020, which has already been implemented in 11 subdivisions.

The National Strategy Action Plan also provides training for the RA Ministry of Defense commanders and military police officers. According to the information received from the Ministry of Defense, the training programs are currently being developed and studied with the involvement of international experts. These trainings relate to the right to life, the right to a fair trial, prohibition of torture, inhuman or degrading treatment. An international expert has also developed a draft program on “Human Rights in the Armed Forces”, which is planned to be introduced in the curricula of the Officers’ Qualification Improvement Center (OQIC) of the Military University after V. Sargsyan and the Faculty of Command and Staff (FCS).

Posters on the right to life are posted in 45% of the Military units of the Armed Forces and in all territorial subdivisions of conscription and mobilization service (target indicator for 2020-2022 is 60%). Posters on the prohibition of torture are posted in 25% of the military units and territorial subdivisions of conscription and mobilization service. Due to the epidemic situation, some measures have not been implemented, such as the organization of psychological lectures on the atmosphere of tolerance and mutual respect in the Armed Forces or the holding of awareness-raising actions on the right to life.

More detailed monitoring results in the above as well as other areas will be presented in the monitoring report, which will be prepared after the completion of the research field work. A package of recommendations aimed at improving the implementation of the National Strategy for the protection of human rights in the country as a whole will be presented the competent authorities as well.

This publication has been produced in the scope of the “Promoting Direct Democracy for Strengthening Human Rights in Armenia” project implemented in the framework of the “Eastern Partnership Civil Society Facility” project funded by the European Union

The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the fellow for the “Promoting Direct Democracy for Strengthening of Human Rights in Armenia” project and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Union.