Claims on mere public statements untrue - Anahit Manasyan

ArmInfo. RA Human Rights Defender Anahit Manasyan stated her readiness to accept citizens who  raise issues related to the protection of their rights, including participants in political processes.

In her statement posted on the Ombudsman's Facebook page, Manasyan  noted that she is ready to discuss any issues related to the  protection of human rights and, within her powers, take the necessary  measures to resolve them.

Regarding the issues raised by the participants of the "Tavush for  the Motherland" movement, the Human Rights Defender considers it  necessary to emphasize the following: allegations that the Ombudsman  makes only public statements regarding the conduct of quick response  visits are not true.  During this period, there were many public  statements by the Human Rights Defender regarding alleged violations  of rights in the exercise of citizens' right to freedom of assembly.  Particularly controversial are allegations that the Ombudsman does  not deal with specific cases. As an example, Manasyan cited cases  where statements were made indicating specific names of people and  cases related to them. Thus, the Human Rights Defender immediately  made a public statement regarding the incident with the deputy of the  National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia Ashot Simonyan. In this  context, the Defender specifically stated that as a result of the  monitoring, a case of detention of a deputy of the National Assembly  of the Republic of Armenia by police officers, apparently with the  use of physical force, was recorded. Later, according to explanations  received from the police, the deputy was released from the police  car. The defender once again emphasizes that a deputy of the National  Assembly of the Republic of Armenia is endowed with a special  constitutional and legal status; the latter can be deprived of  liberty in a special manner established by law. The defender has  raised this issue many times and considers the existence of such a  practice alarming. Manasyan emphasizes that it is necessary to  introduce serious tools to ensure the elimination of the  above-mentioned practice.

The human rights defender also considers the use of disproportionate  force by a police officer to be extremely unacceptable. Each such  case must be immediately assessed properly in order to avoid  precedents in the future. At the same time, cases were recorded when  the use of force against a person continued in conditions when the  latter was already under the control of police officers. The defender  considers this method of work unacceptable. In a number of other  cases, citizens were detained without explanation or explanation of  their fundamental rights. offer. During administrative detention,  cases were recorded when citizens were kept in custody until the end  of the maximum 3-hour period, although upon completion of  investigative actions they were subject to immediate release. To  investigate these cases, the Human Rights Defender sent statements to  the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Prosecutor's Office of  Armenia.

As Manasyan emphasized, peaceful demonstrations are guaranteed by  law, but this implies that their organizers and participants must  comply with a number of requirements: refrain from violence and calls  for it, as well as from hate speech. However, in many cases  discriminatory statements are made at demonstrations. According to  Manasyan, public figures should not only not disseminate such  statements, but also counteract them.

On June 4, supporters of the "Tavush for the Motherland" movement,  led by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, held a rally in front of the  office of the Human Rights Defender, demanding a public meeting with  Manasyan, but the office staff put forward their own conditions for  negotiations. In particular, the Ombudsman was ready to receive  Galstanyan and three other people, but without the press. The leader  of the protest movement rejected this proposal.