The following was released by the Council of Europe.

In response to the emergency of COVID-19 pandemic and to the need of providing urgent support to inmates and prison staff, in the context of it cooperation programmes, the Council of Europe has donated protective materials to five member States - Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro and North Macedonia.

In Armenia, donations included 50 medical uniforms; 8,000 disposable gloves; 100 glasses; 260 respiratory masks; 5,000 disposable masks; 2 oxygen generators; 5 portable saturometers; 5 infrared thermometers; and 10 bactericide lamps.

A total of 13,760 masks; 2,500 facial shields; 1, 240 litters of disinfectant/sanitizer for hands and surfaces; 84,000 gloves; 99 infrared thermometers; 2 oxygen generators; 5 portable saturometers; 10 bactericide lamps; 50 medical uniforms; 100 protective glasses, 20 pulse oximeters; 3,000 head covers; 5,000 shoe covers were delivered to prison administrations in the mentioned countries. 850 pieces of disinfectants and 5,000 gloves are also under way of delivery in North Macedonia and additional items are expected to be purchased in Montenegro and Azerbaijan until end of June 2020.

These donations aim at supporting the commitment of the Council of Europe member States and their national prison administrations to adhere to the CPT statement of principles (see also in Armenian) for the treatment of persons deprived of their liberty, in accordance with the World Health Organization guidelines in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The donations were delivered following requests from the Ministries of Justice and prison administrations within the framework of the cooperation activities implemented by the Criminal Law Cooperation Unit, Action against Crime Department, Directorate General Human Rights and Rule of Law.

The donation to Armenia was possible in the framework of the project Enhancing Health Care and Human Rights Protection in Prisons (financed through CoE Action Plan for Armenia 2019-2022).