RA Human Rights Defender

According to the 83.1 article of Constitution of RA and in the result of elections taken place in the National Assembly on February 17-th of  2006  Armen Harutyunyan obtaining more than 3/5 votes of deputies was elected Parliamentary first Human Rights Defender of RA for 6 year term.

ARMEN HARUTYUNYAN

Armen Harutyunyan was born in 1964 in Yerevan.
From 1981 to 1986 studied at Law Department of the Yerevan State University and after graduating obtained the Diploma in Law (Magna Cum Laude).
From 1986 to 1989 passed his post graduate study at the Institute of State and Law of Academy of USSR and obtained the degree of Candidate of Law (equivalent to PhD).
From 1993 to 1997 studied Doctoral Studies at the Academy of Public Administration, adjunct to the President of Russian Federation and obtained the degree of Doctor of Law (equivalent to Senior Juris Doctor). Starting form 1997 he continued his education in such outstanding European universities as Central European University, Paris 12 University, University of Nottingham (School of Law, Human Rights Law Center) as well as at the European Court of Human Rights with main focuses on Constitutional Law, European Law and Human Rights.
From 1989 till now Armen Harutyunyan has been lecturing at the Law Department of Yerevan State University. From 1997-2005 he was working as a legal advisor at the Constitutional Court of RA.
From 1997 – 2001 Armen Harutyunyan was a member of the Commission on Constitutional reforms, adjunct to the President of the RA. As a Representative of the President of the RA on Constitutional reforms took part in Constitutional reform of 2005.  In 2000 he became a member of the Commission established to assess the compatibility of the Armenian Legislation with the requirements of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) during the process of Republic of Armenia's joining the Council of Europe.
From 2002 to 2006 Armen Harutyunyan was the rector of Public Administration Academy of the Republic of Armenia.
From 2002 to present Armen Harutyunyan is the Deputy Representative of the Republic of Armenia in the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission) and a member of the Association of European Law of the Republic of Armenia.  
In 2008 Armen Harutyunyan joined the Association of French-Speaking Ombudsmen and Mediators.
In 2009 he became a Board Member of the European Ombudsman Institute.
 Armen Harutyunyan is the author of more than 70 scientific works. He is married and has two children.

Armen Harutyunyan took his post on February 20-th of 2006.