“An Inmate is also human”, former convicts about prisons
05:46, October 24, 2013 | News | Right to be free from torture and inhuman or degrading treatment | Detention Facilities, Political Prisoners“An inmate is also human”, remind Suren Surenyants, recently released from “Nubarashen” Penitentiary and Tigran Arakelyan, who two years long lived behind the bars.
From their prison life both of them first recall sleeping on shift, absence of minimum hygienic conditions and the food from which they preferred to abstain.
“16-17 inmates were residing in a 14-bed cell and we were sleeping on shift”, notes Surenyants. “ if there are 10 beds in a cell, then 20 people lived there, in a cell of 24 square meters, less than 1 square meter is available for each one, and wish or not hygiene becomes insufficient”, states Tigran Arakelyan.
Ofelya Zalyan, Representative of Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor, member of independent group of detention facilities states that especially “Nubarashen” Penitentiary is overcrowded. When 15-20 inmates live in a 8-person cell, according to international standards, it is called inhuman treatment, violation of human rights, noted the human rights activist.
Every day 500-600 AMD from the state is spent on the meal of each inmate. Advisor to the Minister of Justice Nikolay Arustamyan has recently tried the outcome meal and does not complain. According to him, the inmates, who partake in the cooking process, are also responsible for quality of the meal.
Whereas, the human rights activists and former inmates assure that the majority of the convicts refrain from prison kitchen at first opportunity. The small portion of food is used, while the majority is thrown away.
“The food, which is necessary to maintain one’s health, didn’t exist there” notes Tigran Arakelyan.
By approximate estimates, more than 1000 people will be released as a result of recently declared Amnesty; besides, a new prison is being constructed in Armavir, which, according the officials, will partially resolve the overcrowding issue of penitentiaries.
According to human rights activist Ofelya Zalyan, there is a more urgent issue, “Detention facilities in Armenia mainly have punitive nature, no upbringing promoting activities are carried out”, she points out.
In this respect, the Ministry of Justice will try to change the detention facilities. A new management system will be introduced in Armavir, and in case it succeeds, the same will also be done in detention facilities.
Source: http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/25143734.html