Today, on October 19, the Human Rights Defender
Anahit Manasyan hosted the delegation of Melissa Hooper, Senior Advisor on
Human Rights and Rule of Law of the USAID.
Anahit Manasyan presented the issues on the
protection of the rights of people forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh as
a result of the Azerbaijani aggression, which were recorded as a result of
ongoing fact-finding activities conducted by her and the staff of the
Defender’s office in the primary needs assessment centers and temporary
shelters.
The Defender specifically referred to the policy of
ethnic cleansing carried out against the Armenian population of
Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as other cases of torture, mutilation and
ill-treatment by Azerbaijani forces prohibited by international law.
Anahit Manasyan referred to the serious humanitarian
issues and violations of fundamental human rights caused by the Azerbaijani
aggression. In this context, the reports were also highlighted which were
submitted by the Defender, through which the monitoring results are
documented.
Within the framework of the meeting, the Defender
referred to the state of protection of the rights of the residents of the
border settlements of the Republic of Armenia, noting that the presence of the
Azerbaijani armed forces in the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia
is very concerning regarding the protection and guarantee of human rights.
Anahit Manasyan also presented the priorities of the
Defender's activity, emphasizing the importance of the activities and programs
carried out in the direction of the exclusion of hate speech. Issues related to
guaranteeing the right to free expression of opinion by the media and ensuring
the safety of journalists were also discussed.
Among other issues, the possible directions of cooperation expansion
between the US Agency for International Development and the Institution of the
Human Rights Defender, the possibility of developing the capabilities of the
staff of the Human Rights Defender's office with the support of USAID were also
discussed.
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