Representatives of the Armenian National Preventive Mechanism visited the office of The Human Rights Ombudsman of the Republic of Slovenia on 24th till 26th May 2010.

Slovenian experience with the implementation of the tasks of the National Preventive Mechanism under the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment has been presented to Armenian NPM experts Arman Tatoyan and Avetik Ishkanyan by the deputy ombudsman Ivan Šelih and his colleagues, performing tasks of the National Preventive Mechanism within the Human Rights Ombudsman of the Republic of Slovenia, and representatives of the associated NGOs.

“Slovenian experts have introduced methods of visits and principal conclusions from earlier visits to the psychiatric hospitals, residential homes for the elderly, to the Aliens Centre and Asylum Centre and to prisons and police stations. Discussion about the cooperation between non-governmental organizations within the framework of the national preventive mechanism also took place,” deputy Šelih said.

Experts from Armenia have joined Slovenian colleagues on the scheduled visits within the framework of implementation of functions and powers of the NPM to the police station in Domžale and to the prison in Ljubljana.

The Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment is an international treaty that was adopted at the 57th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations on 18 December 2002. The main purpose of the Optional Protocol is therefore to establish a system of regular visits of independent international and also national bodies to places of detention, in order to prevent torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Model of performing tasks of the NPM in Slovenia is one of the highly valued among experts all over the world.