POLICE PROMISE TO ELIMINATE DEFECTS IN PRE-TRIAL PRISONS

ARMENPRESS
Apr 17 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 17, ARMENPRESS: The deputy head of a police department
in charge of overseeing public order, Colonel Karen Mehrabian said
an inner investigation confirmed the findings of a public monitoring
group, an alliance of 11 non-governmental organizations, set up to
monitor the situation in pre-trial and detention centers.

Mehrabian said police are working now to eliminate the most crying
shortcomings and defects, revealed by the group, while it was visiting
the detainees between April-October 2006.

The findings of this monitoring, embracing 50 detention and pre-trial
prisons across the country, were presented today in a report, compiled
by the group.

Arsen Fidanian, coordinator of the group, said the monitoring was made
largely through visits to pre-trial prisons and detention centers,
some of which were surprise visits. He said the report was based also
on findings of the Office of the Human Rights Defender and information
from some detainees.

He said the main subject of the monitoring was whether people in
detention centers were kept legally, what kind of food and medical
assistance they received and whether they were subjected to torture.

The report was sent to police, which examined it for three months
and promised to take action to eliminate the reported defects.