Inmates Distrust Medical Staff in Prisons, Says Human Rights Defender

The primary issue in Armenia's correctional facilities is medical services, stated Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan today while presenting a report on the state of human rights in closed institutions.

Another issue, according to the Defender, is the independence of medical personnel, as no one in correctional facilities trusts the doctors. "This is due to the fact that the system has been built in such a way for years that the doctor is simply viewed as a correctional service employee, a person in a uniform, and individuals deprived of their freedom do not regard them as a doctor," Tatoyan explained.

According to the Defender, a correctional medical center was established last year by government decision, which "remains only on paper." He added, "That center effectively did not operate. Recently, efforts are being made to activate the center's work, but it has again proven ineffective; urgent measures need to be taken."

Another notable issue highlighted by the Defender is the existence of specialists; in some correctional facilities, there isn't even a doctor. Furthermore, he pointed out that doctors are not receiving proper training. "Due to low social guarantees and low salaries, it is impossible to attract qualified specialists into the system," Arman Tatoyan noted.

According to him, proper social and psychological work is not being conducted with individuals in detention, who are forced to spend 23 hours in a small, cramped cell, aside from a one-hour walk.