Armenia has 1,406 detainees in prisons, justice minister says

Armenia currently has 1,406 detainees held in penitentiary institutions, Justice Minister Srbuhi Galyan said on Wednesday, while outlining reforms aimed at reducing reliance on detention and expanding digital justice services.

Speaking at a press conference on the implementation of the government’s 2025 program, Galyan said the ministry’s key objective is to fully digitalise judicial proceedings across the country.

According to the minister, Armenia already operates electronic systems for civil and administrative litigation, as well as bankruptcy cases. The bankruptcy platform, which had been delayed, is expected to be launched by the end of February.

“Our goal is for all types of court proceedings to have electronic platforms and the possibility of digital implementation,” Galyan said, adding that citizens with national ID cards can access e-services through the Yes Em identification system.

She said new mechanisms have been developed to strengthen the protection of citizens’ rights, including clearer criteria for determining compensation amounts.

Galyan also said Armenia achieved a 100% performance rate last year under a European Union budget support program, resulting in a €5.5 million disbursement to the state. She added that conditions in penitentiary institutions continue to improve.

Addressing criticism that the probation service routinely issues negative assessments for life-sentenced prisoners even after 20–30 years, effectively blocking early release, Galyan said new regulations shift responsibility to penitentiary institutions. Under the changes, decisions on conditional early release will be based on prison reports, while the probation service will monitor the individual’s behaviour after release.

She said five or six life prisoners have been conditionally released, all after 2018.

Galyan rejected claims that pre-trial detention remains widely used as a measure of restraint, saying the number of detainees has declined. She noted that 907 people are currently under house arrest and 1,143 are serving administrative detention.

While acknowledging that the number of detainees in prisons remains high, Galyan said an inter-departmental commission has been established by an order of the prime minister to improve the use of detention.