A/67/44 Effectiveness of the Human Rights Defender (22) The Committee is concerned by the lack of adequate resources for the Human Rights Defender (ombudsman), who has been designated the national preventive mechanism of Armenia, to carry out his mandate effectively. It is also concerned that some recommendations made by the Human Rights Defender to the authorities are not implemented (arts. 2 and 12). The Committee recommends that the State party provide the resources necessary for the Office of the Human Rights Defender to carry out its double mandate as the ombudsman and national preventive mechanism of Armenia in an effective manner in accordance with the guidelines on national preventive mechanisms established by the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture. The State party should ensure that law enforcement, prosecutorial, military and prison personnel cooperate with the Human Rights Defender and take steps to implement his recommendations. Alternative service (23) While taking note of the draft law to amend and supplement the law on alternative military service, the Committee remains concerned by the State party’s acknowledgement that it continues to hold many individuals in detention for evading military service, some of whom are reportedly conscientious objectors who objected to the alternative service on grounds that it is supervised exclusively by military personnel (art. 16). The Committee recommends that the State party adopt the draft law on alternative military service and that it review the detention of all individuals imprisoned for refusing to perform the alternative service on religious grounds. Non-refoulement (24) The Committee regrets the lack of information regarding safeguards against torture in extradition and expulsion. Furthermore, it is concerned about the lack of information on any diplomatic assurances secured by the State party in its return of applicants for asylum to neighbouring countries and in the implementation of the reported extradition agreement between the National Police of Armenia and the Police of the Russian Federation, and data concerning the number of people extradited pursuant to that agreement. The Committee is concerned by reports that the State party issued extradition warrants without allowing those concerned to exercise their right to appeal in accordance with article 479, paragraph 2, of the Criminal Procedure Code and without complying with the normal procedures for extradition (art. 3). The State party should refrain from seeking and accepting diplomatic assurances from a State where there are substantial grounds for believing that a person would be at risk of being subjected to torture. The State party should provide detailed information to the Committee on all cases where such assurances have been provided. The Committee also recommends that the State party respect its non-refoulement obligations under article 3 of the Convention, including the right to appeal the issuance of an extradition warrant, as provided for in article 479, paragraph 2 of the Criminal Procedure Code. Training (25) The Committee welcomes the organization of human rights training programmes for law enforcement and military officials during the period under consideration. However, the Committee regrets the lack of information on monitoring and evaluation of the impact of these training programmes in reducing incidents of torture and ill-treatment. The Committee also regrets the lack of information on training on the use of the Manual on the Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or 114 GE.12-44492