Armenia Appoints First Woman to Head Penitentiary Service

Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced on Tuesday that Tsovinar Tadevosyan, a 32-year-old professional, will lead the Justice Ministry’s Penitentiary Service. This appointment is the first time a woman has been placed in charge of managing the country’s prisons, a system historically dominated by male leadership.

The leadership role became vacant in early December after the departure of Ambakum Grigoryan, who served less than a year in the position. Grigoryan’s removal followed the appointment of Srbuhi Galyan as Justice Minister. Galyan, who is also 32, emphasized her intent to build a team of professionals aligned with her vision and political ideals. In pursuit of this goal, she made sweeping changes, replacing nearly all deputy justice ministers and the head of Armenia’s judicial enforcement agency.

Prior to Tadevosyan’s appointment, she led a division within the Penitentiary Service that focuses on social, psychological, and legal affairs. Prime Minister Pashinyan is confident in Tadevosyan’s abilities as he publicly announced her impending role after a meeting in his office.

Her appointment has drawn praise from various quarters. Zaruhi Hovannisyan, a member of a civic group monitoring prison conditions in Armenia, described Tadevosyan as a “highly skilled professional” with the qualifications to bring meaningful change to the penitentiary system. Hovannisyan spoke about the potential for Tadevosyan to positively influence the system, which she described as overly punitive and resistant to reform.

Despite the optimism surrounding Tadevosyan’s leadership, the path forward is unlikely to be without obstacles. Armenia’s penitentiary system has faced criticism for maintaining a punitive rather than rehabilitative approach. This resistance to change has persisted during Prime Minister Pashinyan’s administration, creating a challenging environment for reform-minded leaders.

Hovannisyan noted that Tadevosyan’s efforts might face pushback from senior prison personnel who are accustomed to the status quo. However, supporters believe that her background in social and psychological services positions her uniquely to address the system’s deficiencies.