Statement by H.E. Mr. Paruyr Hovhannisyan, Permanent Representative of Armenia to the UN, at the High-level debate on to mark the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners
Mr. Vice-President,
I thank the President of the General Assembly for convening today’s meeting marking the tenth anniversary of the Nelson Mandela Rules. I also extend my appreciation to the Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the distinguished speakers for their valuable interventions.
The Nelson Mandela Rules stand as a cornerstone of the international framework for safeguarding the dignity and rights of those deprived of their liberty. By setting clear standards for the treatment of prisoners, these Rules emphasize that incarceration must never translate into inhumanity but be guided by justice and rehabilitation.
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As a member of the Group of Friends of the Nelson Mandela Rules, Armenia reaffirms its unwavering commitment to strengthening its national legal and institutional frameworks to advance penitentiary reforms fully aligned with international human rights obligations.
In line with its commitments under the Convention against Torture, Armenia has taken significant steps to enhance legal and structural safeguards against torture, guided by the Committee’s recommendations. The 2020–2022 Human Rights Action Plan envisaged key actions, including amendments to criminal legislation, investigative guidelines on torture, and training for law enforcement, medical professionals, and the judiciary. These efforts continue under the 2023–2025 Action Plan, with a reinforced focus on prevention, transparency, and accountability.
Recognizing the importance of alternatives to imprisonment, Armenia has undertaken meaningful reforms to its penal policy, with the new Penitentiary and Criminal Codes, encompassing practical non-custodial and liberty-restricting measures, such as house arrest and administrative supervision.
Mr. Vice-President,
While Armenia remains committed to improving prison conditions, it is with deep concern that we highlight a grave and ongoing situation of the continued imprisonment, ill-treatment, and torture of Armenian prisoners of war, and other detainees held by Azerbaijan, including their staged trials. We recall that the Committee against Torture, in its most recent concluding observations on Azerbaijan, expressed deep concern regarding the ongoing detention of the 23 Armenian individuals. These concerns remain valid, as the situation continues to pose serious and ongoing risks to the rights, safety, and dignity of the individuals concerned.
Armenia remains fully committed to strengthening its legal frameworks and institutions to ensure the fair and humane treatment of all individuals deprived of their liberty, while advancing a justice system anchored in the fundamental principles of human rights and dignity The Nelson Mandela Rules serve as essential tools in guiding our efforts to uphold the highest standards of custodial care and in reinforcing our firm conviction that torture has no place—neither in Armenia, nor in our region, nor anywhere in the world.
I thank you.
Permanent Mission of Armenia to the United Nations