Veronika Kotek: "The penitentiary system of Azerbaijan should verge towards the standards of the Council of Europe"

The main task of the penitentiary system should be the rehabilitation of former prisoners rather than punishment, said personal representative of the CE Secretary General in Azerbaijan Veronika Kotek at a presentation of a project "Encouragement of penitentiary reforms in Azerbaijan in 2008-2009".

She noted that the CE member-states developed single standards of detainment conditions of prisoners, based on which Norway has developed a program of improvement of the detainment conditions. Kotek noted that the presented project is based on this program.

"The penitentiary system of Azerbaijan should verge towards to the standards of the Council of Europe. This is the main task of the project", said she.

Norway's ambassador to Azerbaijan Yon Ramberg noted in turn that the project envisions three main directions: creation of a penitentiary educational center, envisioning raising skills of penitentiary officers; development of medical services; creation and application of alternative system of punishment.

/Day.Az/