Expert Council on Prevention of Torture to the Defender established
By the decision of the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia dated 28 September 2016, the Expert Council on Prevention of Torture to the Defender has been established, by the new list of members. It is comprised of independent experts, as well as experienced representatives of NGO-s in the field of prevention of torture and ill treatment, (sociologist, psychologist, doctor, etc.). The Council has been established based on the Law on Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia, according which the Ombudsman is the National Preventive Mechanism under the Optional Protocol of the UN Convention on Prevention of Torture. Besides that, the Law on Human Rights Defender gives the possibility to delegate certain functions to the Expert Council members. The aim of the Council is to reveal the problems concerning the conditions of detention in the places of deprivation of liberty and to provide the solutions, including analyzing them in the context of relevant legislative acts. The main function of the Council is to monitor the places of deprivation of liberty by making regular visits. Human Rights Defender’s Office of the Republic of Armenia
