Tuesday, March 19 2019 14:58

ArmInfo. Transitional justice will be a court for judges. The Minister of Justice Artak Zeynalyan stated this on March 19 during a meeting of the parliamentary commission on state and legal issues.

He noted that the whole essence of transitional justice would be to  restore human rights. "We are studying international experience and  are considering possible options for the implementation of  transitional justice.  I can not say that an administrative and  criminal amnesty held in Armenia can also be considered as an element  of transitional justice," the minister stressed.

He also touched on some positive changes in the penitentiary  institutions. According to the minister, in the course of cooperation  with the ombudsman, the practice of prohibiting close relatives from  visiting a prisoner without good reason was excluded. Another  achievement Zeynalyan also considered that, according to him, for the  first time in the last 10 years, funds were allocated from the state  budget of Armenia for the implementation of major repairs in the  three penitentiary institutions of the country. "The government has  allocated 270 million drams for us to improve the conditions of  detention of prisoners at the Nubarashen, Sevan and Vardashen  penitenincies," Zeynalyan stressed.

In conclusion, the Minister stressed that during the administrative  amnesty, which was applied to 108 thousand 916 citizens, the number  of suspended cases that were being processed amounted to 1 million  259 thousand 177. "As of March 13, 627 people were released from  penitentiary institutions of Armenia.  Moreover, the probation  service applied amnesty to 2342 beneficiaries, "the Minister  concluded.