Salaries of penitentiary system officers will increase by about 30 percent. Rustam Badasyan

On 21 October, a solemn session devoted to 100th anniversary of the penitentiary system and the Penitentiary Officers Day took place in Yerevan. Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Tigran Avinyan, Minister of Justice Rustam Badasyan, Head of the Penitentiary Service Artur Guyunyan, Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan, Secretary of the Security Council Armen Grigoryan, Head of the Special Investigation Service Sasun Khachatryan, Chairperson of the Investigative Committee Hayk Grigoryan, Acting Chief Compulsory Enforcement Officer of the Republic of Armenia Davit Beginyan, Chairperson of the Chamber of Advocates Ara Zohrabyan, high-ranking officials of the National Security Service, the Police, current and former penitentiary service officers and others participated in the event.

Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan congratulated the officers of the system and addressing them noted that the new situation resulting from the non-violent velvet revolution having taken place in the Republic of Armenia requires flawless work and devotion in the legal field. Deputy Prime Minister emphasised that the Government keeps the issues in the penitentiary system in the centre of a special attention and consistently undertakes their solution. "I also assure that consistent improvement of effective social security and protection safeguards for penitentiary system officers will be in the centre of attention of the Government," — said Tigran Avinyan.

Congratulating all the officers of the Penitentiary Service, Minister Badasyan addressed his congratulatory speech also to the veterans of the system, who have had their invaluable contribution to the establishment of the Service and still continue supporting their favourite system. According to Rustam Badasyan, new Armenia has created new prerequisites for the development of the Penitentiary Service. "After serving the punishment in the penitentiary institution, the person should be ready to return into the society. The road to this goal is determined: the persons in penitentiary institutions must be provided with opportunities to receive education, to work, to develop spiritually and culturally, as well as to strengthen the effective contact with the external world. In order to reach the goal we have set, we will seek for advanced solutions in line with the best international practice, positions of prestigious international institutions and the current trends in the development of law" — the Minister of Justice assured, adding that the Government realises very well that the problems having rooted in penitentiary system for years have been a fertile soil for spreading a criminal subculture, on the one hand, and demonstrating corrupt practices, on the other hand. Within this context, the Minister assured that the Government takes active steps aimed at shifting the fight against these vicious phenomena to a qualitatively new phase. Among others, Rustam Badasyan pointed out guaranteeing equal conditions for persons deprived of liberty, initiative of fighting against criminal subculture also at the legislative level, as well as improving the working conditions for the officers of the Service. With respect to the latter, the Minister informed that the draft is already ready and there is a political decision to raise the salaries of the officers of the Penitentiary Service by 30 percent.

Then, the Minister highly appreciated the willingness and the initiative of the Penitentiary Service, represented by the Head of the Penitentiary Service Artur Goyunyan, in the implementation of sector-specific reforms. In this regard, Rustam Badasyan attached importance to the pilot project of delegating the function of providing food to the persons being kept in "Nubarashen" and "Armavir" Penitentiary Institutions to a private company, the initial results of which, according to the Minister, are more than encouraging. "Hopefully, the consistent realisation of the project will contribute to the reduction of the number of deliveries and will disburden the families of persons being kept in penitentiary institutions in this regard", — said Rustam Badasyan. The Minister highly appreciated also the efforts made by the Penitentiary Service and penitentiary institutions with regard to the operative and skilful management, the results of co-operation between the National Security Service and the Police, as well as the quality work of the persons of the Ministry of Justice responsible for developing the policy of the penitentiary sector.

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of establishment of the Penitentiary Service and Penitentiary Officers Day, a number of officers and veterans of the Service were, upon the order of the Minister of Justice of the Republic of Armenia, awarded with medals, letter of gratitude and souvenirs for long-term service, and for performance of official duties and tasks in due manner.

Upon the order of the Head of Police, Minister Rustam Badasyan was awarded with a medal for "Strengthening the law and order".