On
October 27, the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia, Ms. Anahit
Manasyan, received Ms. Tatiana Bovkun, Head of the Program Department for
Armenia and Kazakhstan of the German Foundation for International Legal
Cooperation (IRZ).
Ms.
Nelly Tumasyan, Project Coordinator of the Yerevan office of the German
Foundation for IRZ, also participated in the meeting.
Welcoming
the guests, the Defender highly appreciated the effective cooperation
established between the Human Rights Defender’s Office and the IRZ Foundation,
highlighting the projects implemented jointly with the Yerevan office of the
Foundation.
Ms.
Anahit Manasyan presented the mandate of the Human Rights Defender as a
constitutionally independent body, the main directions and priorities of its
activities, which include the protection and promotion of the rights of women,
children, national minorities, persons with disabilities, along with the
protection of the rights of servicemen, forcibly displaced persons, and the
freedom of assembly, among other fundamental rights.
During
the meeting, the current challenges in the field of human rights protection in
Armenia were referred, emphasizing the dangerous growth of hate speech,
discrimination and intolerance.
The
parties also discussed a number of issues related to the protection of the
rights of persons with disabilities, children, religious and national
minorities, as well as refugees and forcibly displaced persons in penitentiary
institutions and psychiatric facilities, the issues of the use of
disproportionate force by the police, etc.
Special
attention was given to the distorted perceptions regarding the mandate of the
Human Rights Defender and the concept of human rights, which often do not align
with contemporary international standards.
Ms.
Tatiana Bovkun, in turn, expressed gratitude for the warm welcome, highly
appreciating the Defender's activities in the protection and guarantee of human
rights.
At
the conclusion of the meeting, the parties reaffirmed their commitment to
continue and further deepen their cooperation.
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