The first joint Steering Committee meeting of the Projects “Further strengthening the Protection of the Rights of Persons in Detention” and “Further strengthening the Probation Service in Armenia” was held on 13 March 2025 to mark the start of these two Projects.

Building upon the results of the previous Council of Europe  projects, the “Further Strengthening the Probation Service in Armenia” project will provide continued support to the Armenian authorities in their efforts to further facilitate the use of probation services, while  the project “Further Strengthening the Protection of the Rights of Persons in Detention” aims to enhance penitentiary, police and prison healthcare reforms, and the protection of the human rights of persons deprived of liberty. Both initiatives are designed to help the authorities achieve their reform objectives through meaningful changes in institutional practices, ensuring alignment with international human rights standards and best practices, thus enhancing community safety and the fair administration of justice.

The main partners of the two-year Projects are the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of the Internal Affairs, the Probation Service, the Penitentiary Service, Ombudsperson and other institutions.

In their opening remarks, the Deputy Minister of Justice, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs and Deputy Minister of Health acknowledged the importance of the Council of Europe continuous support and expressed readiness to support the projects for achieving the set objectives.

The main goals and objectives of the two follow-up Projects, as well as the overall and 9-month (March – December 2025) Work Plans and activities were presented during the meeting. The members of the SC provided their feedback and approved the overall and the 9-month Work Plans with some comments and suggestions on their behalf.  

The Projects “Further strengthening the Protection of the Rights of Persons in Detention” and “Further strengthening the Probation Service in Armenia” Projects are implemented by the Council of Europe and are financed within the framework of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia 2023-2026.