Achievements and Gaps in Torture Prevention in the Armed Forces
For over a decade, Peace Dialogue NGO has been dedicated to promoting human rights within the Armenian defense sector. Since 2015, the organization’s monitoring group has conducted regular assessments of human rights conditions in this field. Peace Dialogue also serves on the Coordinating Council overseeing the implementation of the 2023-2025 Action Plan, which stems from the National Strategy of the Republic of Armenia for the Protection of Human Rights, in accordance with Government Decision No. 1674-L, dated 28.09.2023. In addition, the organization works to identify challenges within the defense sector and foster collaborative efforts to address them.
This report specifically focuses on monitoring the actions planned by the Armenian government for the 2023-2024 period, targeting the prevention of torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment in the defense sector.
The monitoring process was designed with two primary objectives:
- To assess the relevance of the actions included in the Armenian government’s 2023-2025 Action Plan, derived from the National Strategy for the Protection of Human Rights.
- To determine whether the activities were implemented according to the plan and to measure the contribution of these actions to the overall goals set by the government.
According to the 2023-2025 Action Plan, the overarching goal related to the prevention of torture and ill-treatment is to
“Ensure the full realization of the right to be free from torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment in penitentiary institutions, the armed forces, psychiatric institutions, places of detention, and during criminal proceedings by organizing professional training and investing in the necessary tools and mechanisms.”
Specifically, the Armenian government outlined the following actions to protect the right to be free from torture within the armed forces:
- Establish a mechanism for the anonymous reporting of torture, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment within the armed forces.
- Provide training for the command staff of the armed forces and military police officers on the prohibition of ill-treatment.
- Ensure that the job description for one specialist position within the Center for Human Rights and Integrity Building of the Ministry of Defense of Armenia requires a higher education degree in psychology.
- Strengthen the capacity of the RA Investigative Committee, which includes a specialized unit responsible for investigating cases of torture, including those in the armed forces.
- Adopt guidelines on the interpretation and application of the terms “severe physical pain” and “mental suffering” in accordance with international best practices and standards.
- Establish support centers (legal, psychological, social, etc.) for victims of torture in Yerevan and at least three regions (marzes), to improve the health and well-being of individuals affected by torture.
To assess the relevance of the actions included in the Armenian government’s 2023-2025 Action Plan, Peace Dialogue submitted a series of inquiries to the Office of the Prosecutor General, the Ministry of Defence, and the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia. In addition, Peace Dialogue conducted in-depth anonymous interviews with former conscripts across a broad geographic range, including Yerevan and nearly all regions of Armenia.
For access to the PDF version of the report, please follow the link below: Achievements and Gaps in Torture Prevention in the Armed Forces (PDF, 1 Mb).
The study was conducted by Peace Dialogue NGO with funding provided by the Democracy Development Foundation.
Posted 03 February, 2025
