The Human Rights Defender considers inadmissible the targeting
of human rights NGOs and its members, and the growing volume of the insults
directed at them.
The fact that the targeting on social media is personified and
distinguished by hate speech is concerning.
Such perceptions should not be allowed to take route in our
society since they are dangerous not only because of the growing intolerance in
the country but also in terms of the role that NGOs and human rights defenders
perform.
The state should guarantee the free operation of the NGOs in the
country through its relevant bodies and provide them with the necessary
protection.
It should be taken into consideration that civil society
organizations have a play a special part in the human rights system and they
perform a substantial role in the function of control over the state.
They must have guarantees for the normal performance of their
functions, which will ensure the protection of human rights throughout the
country. The Human Rights Defender of Armenia attaches great importance to the
work of NGOs and individual human rights defenders and their role in the
establishment and development of democracy in our country.
In our country, the protection of human rights has become a
priority, especially recently, when the issues of human rights to life, health,
private property, social security and other rights, first due to the pandemic
and then due to the war situation has become a matter of concern for all of us
as well as for civil society.
The cooperation between the Human Rights Defender of Armenia and
partner human rights defenders and NGOs is continuous in priority areas of
human rights protection, such as the rights of military servicemen and their
families, the rights of persons with disabilities, the rights of children, the
rights of women, freedom of expression and of the press, the protection of the
rights of persons deprived of their liberty, the prevention of torture, the
promotion of business and labor rights, the protection of refugee rights, etc.
It is effective to work together with NGOs and human rights
defenders on human rights, freedoms, and issues of public importance, such as
the Helsinki Committee of Armenia, the Freedom of Information Center, the
Yerevan Press Club, the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly Vanadzor Office, the
Association of Informed Citizens, SOS Children's Villages Armenian Charitable
Foundation, Human Rights Without Borders NGO, Coordinator of the Coalition
Against Violence Against Women, Full Life, Unison, NGO Against Legal
Arbitrariness, Taxpayer Protection, etc. The
activities of monitoring groups exercising oversight
over closed institutions is also important
Moreover, the cooperation between the Human Rights Defender and
the NGOs is institutional in nature through the councils adjunct to the
Defender. These are the Public Council for the Protection of the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities, torture Prevention Advisory Board, Expert Council on
Human Rights Protection in the Armed Forces.
In this respect, the issues of guaranteeing the unhindered
activity of civil society representatives and human rights defenders are under
the Human Rights Defender’s consistent scrutiny. The Defender has regularly
expressed concern over calls for violence and about the inadmissibility of
threats against human rights defenders due to their role. In this matter, the
obligation of the state to take adequate steps has been emphasized many
times.
In general, the perception that the role of civil society
representatives is to raise the issue of guaranteeing rights and freedoms in
the country is extremely important. Therefore, the evaluation of the work of
human rights institutions, including civil society representatives and human
rights defenders, should be in the field of human rights and work in specific
areas.
The understanding among civil, public, and political actors that
the human being as the holder of the individual rights and freedoms is the
principal beneficiary of the work of civil society representatives is of crucial
importance.
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