CONDITIONS OF SUPPORT CORRESPOND TO THE EUROPEAN STANDARDS
Albert Voskanyan

Azat Artsakh Daily
November 18, 2009
Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR]

After a two-year break on a business trip, I again had to visit penal
jurisdictions of NK. The representative of one of the international
organizations wanted to get acquainted with the penal system of the
NKR, and turned to me, as a human rights activist, who was occupying
with this sphere for years, with a request for assistance. I wrote
a letter to the President of the NKR, sent this copy to the Chief
of Police, and almost immediately received a permission to conduct
monitoring. I consider that it will be interesting to the reader to
learn about the conditions and atmosphere in these establishments. We
selectively examined cameras of the investigation insulator
under the Police of the NKR, had conversations with prisoners,
including with women who were also there. In 2008, cameras of the
investigation insulator were transferred from Stepanakert to Shushi,
to the territory of the Department of Execution of Criminal Sanction
(DECS) under the Police of the NKR (former Shushi prison). The whole
outhouse of the DECS is given to the investigation insulator, there
is no communication between DECS and cameras of the investigation
insulator, and they are completely isolated from each other. Cameras
are equipped with metallic two-tiered beds, wooden tables and stools,
bedside tables and wall cabinets. The above items of furniture are not
fixed to the floor. It is neat, the floors are wooden and walls are dry
in the cameras. Jalousies are partially absent. Natural light enters
the camera through the window in sufficient quantities, artificial
light is provided by lamps of 100 or 120 watts. There are systems of
water pipe and sewerage in the cameras. There are no complaints of
hygiene from the part of prisoners. Bed linen is clean and in good
condition. All prisoners have sheets and pillowcases, blankets and
mattresses. Towels are clean. In the structure of the administration
of the Execution of the criminal sanction first-aid post functions;
this serves the special contingent of the jail, medical staff of
which consists of one medical assistance. Complaints about the health
of prisoners are fixed by the duty of DECS and transferred to the
medical assistance. In case of need, doctors from the clinic of the
NKR Police are involved, in cases of emergency "ambulance" is called
and the patient is delivered to the Republican Hospital. There are no
sick prisoners suffering tuberculosis. The first medical testimony
occurs during the receiving of the prisoner in the investigation
insulator, at which is fixed his physical state. Furthermore, during
the presence of a prisoner periodic testing of his physical state is
conducted. It is gratifying that at the time of our visit a dental
office was equipped here, which did not exist earlier. The prisoners
regularly receive periodic publications; they can use the library of
the investigation insulator, which has more than 1500 books in Armenian
and Russian languages. We had an opportunity to visit DECS under the
Police of the NKR, which acts since 1995 on the base of local prison
(date of building – 1869).

In its activity, the establishment is guided by the Criminal- executive
code, rules of the internal regulation and by corresponding orders of
the police of NK. In DECS act 3 regimes – half-open, half-closed and
covered. Convicted under different regime of detention are separated
from each other. The total capacity of institutions is 200 persons.
There are no prisoners who are sentenced to the life imprisonment in
the establishment. The death penalty is repealed in NK from August
1, 2003. On July 7, 2003 the Law of the NKR came into force in NK
"On consummation of the Criminal Code of Armenia from 18.04.03 on
the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh", 6-th article, which cancels the
death penalty on the territory of NK as an exceptional measure of
punishment and replaces it with the life imprisonment.

Those, who are sentenced to the life imprisonment, have the right of
appeal. Walls in the cameras are white. Windows are without jalousie,
but with lattices. The floor is concrete, beds are iron and are neatly
tucked, a tag with a name of a prisoner is fixed to each of them.

The temperature in the cameras on average is about 18 degrees Celsius.

In winter, the temperature is maintained using stoves, as heating
material firewood is used. The beds are iron and two-tiered in the
cameras. Chairs are wooden. There are benches for 8 persons. The state
of bed linen, blankets, mattresses, towels is satisfactory. There
were no Complaints from the part of prisoners on hygiene. Prisoners
are provided with necessary means of hygiene (by soap, by toothpaste
etc.). The state of kitchen is normal. Quantity, quality and caloric
content of food correspond to standard. There is always meat in ration.
There are 3 libraries and a small room. Clergyman of the Artsakh
Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church periodically conducts
spiritual conversations with prisoners. In DECS female prisoners
and juveniles are absent. In view of the absence of the reformatory
institutions for the indicated category in NK, they are sent to serve
their sentences in the Republic of Armenia. Also, there are well
repaired bathes with constant hot water in the investigation insulator
and in DECS. We had a conversation with the prisoners, there were no
complains on regime of detention and violation of their rights. It
was noted that after the change of the leadership of DECS conditions
of prisoners radically improved in many ways. The atmosphere became
healthier in the prison. In general, the regime in prisons of the
NKR makes it possible to keep people with dignity, without degrading
their human dignity, which is important for unrecognized by the world
community the State, which, despite all the difficulties, forms a
democratic state. By the way, the representative of international
organization shares my opinion, with whom we conducted the monitoring.

At the same time, I want to note that the penal jurisdictions of NK
have much to do in order to bring them into complete correspondence
with the European standards.