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Detention standards and human rights monitoring are the focus of a two-day training course that began today in the Gegharkunik province of Armenia. Participants in the course, which was organized by the OSCE Office in Yerevan in co-operation with the Armenian Police, include heads, deputies and inspectors from Armenia's northern regional police departments and police detention centers, officers from the Public Order Department of the Armenian Police, and members of the Public Monitoring Group.

"The training is designed to increase police officers' knowledge of standards of treatment of arrested and detained persons, and to enhance the monitoring capacity of members of Public Monitoring Group for Police Detention Centres. I hope this training will also facilitate a dialogue between the police and the Public Monitoring Group to help foster co-operation and trust," said Ambassador Sergey Kapinos, Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan.

Trainers leading the course include Avetik Ishkhanyan, Chairman of the Armenian Helsinki Committee; Krassimir Kanev, Chairman of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee and Board Member of the Association for the Prevention of Torture; Karen Mehrabyan from the Public Order department; and Erik Svanidze, formerly on the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture.

A similar two-day training course will be held on 18 and 19 June in the Vayots-Dzor province for police officers from regional departments and police detention centres from the southern part of the country. The newly appointed members of the Public Monitoring Group for Police Detention Centres will also take part in the course.