The In the Name of Freedom legal non-governmental organization has been implementing the “We Can” program since November last year. It aims to improve the current procedure for parole. According to the program, the penitentiary and probation services compile reports to release the convict on parole. In 2021, 182 convicts were released on parole, and the unserved part of 4 convicts’ sentences was replaced with a milder sentence: public works.
“During the program funded by the European Union, opinion polls were conducted both among those serving sentences and among former convicts. “Most of the respondents are inclined to think that the evaluation score of the report prepared by the penitentiary service should be reconsidered,” said Irina Manukyan, the organization’s president and lawyer.
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Under the current procedure, 28 points are considered sufficient for parole. The points take into account the age limit, the fact of the civil suit against the victim, participation in trainings organized in penitentiaries, employment, participation in sports and cultural events, incentives, penalties, attitude towards criminal subculture, etc. “People serving sentences in Armenian penitentiaries cannot be included in existing jobs. Encouragement is seldom given, but the penalty is as much as you say,” said Irina Manukyan.
Babken Ghardyan, a project expert and vice-president of the NGO, continued his colleague’s speech, noting that lawsuits for parole are considered in the courts at an inappropriate time. There will be a suggestion point in the draft being prepared on this issue as well. “For example, the penitentiary and probation services gave a positive conclusion to Suren Muradyan, a convict at the Armavir penitentiary. It seems that there is no problem; the convict should be released, but the court hearings have been postponed since November, either the prosecutor does not appear at the hearing or the court is overburdened,” said Babken Ghardyan.
The project experts are currently working on the project, of course, taking into account international experience and the offer of the beneficiaries. As soon as the draft is ready, a public discussion will be organized, during which the suggestions will be included in the draft. The final version of the draft will be presented to the relevant state structures, as it will be distributed to those serving sentences in penitentiaries.
At the same time, in line with the European Union-funded We Can program, the People in Need NGO’s Civil Society Actors in the South Caucasus and Moldova project is being implemented within the framework of the In the Name of Freedom NGO Capacity and the strategy development plan. The organization has rented an office in Kapan, the organization’s website is being prepared, and the organization’s Facebook page has been activated.
“The staff of the NGO has been trained several times, and online training courses have been conducted. It happened with the volunteers. Our ranks are being replenished. We hope the change will become a reality. By changing ourselves, let’s change our environment,” said Babken Ghardyan.
Let us add that the co-founders of the In the Name of Freedom organization are former convicts.
Armen Davtyan
