The Human Rights Defender
of Armenia, when presenting the 2019 Annual Report to the National Assembly of
Armenia, stressed that human rights are universal categories and that rights of
all persons, including children, women, people with disabilities living in
Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh), should be protected, regardless of the political
status of the territory or other political factors, whether it is a conflict or
postconflict area. This is a well-known concept driven by a status neutral
principle within International Human Rights Standards.
Additionally, in
response to the question from a member of the Armenian Parliament regarding
whether the Human Rights Defender of Armenia anticipates cooperation with his
Azerbaijani counterpart on human rights issues, Mr. Arman Tatoyan noted that he
has not yet met the new Ombudsperson of the neighboring country, but he is
ready to meet his counterpart, for example, within international meetings,
should such an opportunity present. Thus, the Human Rights Defender of the
Republic of Armenia expressed his readiness for the meeting. Moreover, the
Defender emphasized that he believes it would be appropriate if the Human
Rights Defender or civil society of Artsakh participate in human rights related
international discussions or discussions on rights of Armenians living in
Artsakh.
Immediately after
parliamentary discussions, the Commissioner for Human Rights of Azerbaijan
(Ombudsperson) Sabina Aliyeva made an official statement, accompanied by
inaccurate, political comments clearly atypical of a Head of a Human Rights
Institution, quoting the official positions of her country's political
authorities, even considering the issue from the perspective of the OSCE Minsk
Group's activities dealing with the political solution of the conflict, also
using expressions that generate aggression and hatred. Moreover, the statements
of the Azerbaijani Commissioner for Human Rights were accompanied by public
insults addressed to the Armenian Human Rights Defender, noting that the
Armenian Human Rights Defender "turned legal issues into objects of political
manipulation and organized a cheap show by primitive methods."
Besides, the Azerbaijani
Ombudsperson put forward a political precondition for meeting with the Armenian
Human Rights Defender, stating that “the negotiations with the Human Rights
Ombudsman of Armenia will be possible only after the elimination of
occupation.”
The Armenian Human Rights
Defender has to respond to these political and insulting statements of the
Azerbaijani Ombudsperson, to prevent distortion of statements and position, as
well as presentation of false information to international partners.
The Armenian Human Rights
Defender Arman Tatoyan regrets that his Azerbaijani counterpart makes political
statements. Nonetheless, we refrain from commenting on the statements, given
that it is not appropriate for a human rights institution to do so. We regret
that the Commissioner for Human Rights of Azerbaijan sets a political
precondition for the cooperation between the two institutions, obviously
following the political framework of the Azerbaijani authorities.
The Human Rights Defender
of Armenia was hoping that the new Ombudsperson of Azerbaijan could adopt new
approaches for cooperation that could be in accordance with international human
rights principles and standards; however, by presenting an approach identical
to the official political propaganda shows that nothing has changed in this
regard.
Political neutrality of
ombudspersons and national human rights institutions is one of the basic
principles of their apolitical activity. This cooperation is to ensure the
effective protection of human rights. Hence, there should be no political
preconditions for cooperation between ombudsperson institutions in establishing
and guaranteeing an agenda for human rights.
Human rights protection is
of the universal nature. Hence, the guarantee and protection of the human
rights of people living in Artsakh should not depend on the disaccord related
to the political status of Artsakh.
Women, children, persons
with disabilities, who live in Artsakh cannot be deprived of legal protection;
that would contradict the international legal principles. Participation of the
Human Rights Defender of Artsakh and the civil society in international human
rights discussions and meetings has an irreplaceable role because political
factors should have no impact on human rights.
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