The
chairman of the Standing Committee on Defense and Security of the National
Assembly of the Republic of Armenia Andranik Kocharyan, the Deputy Minister of
Internal Affairs Arpine Sargsyan, the Head of the Headquarters of Police of the
Ministry of Internal Affairs Armen Mkrtchyan, the Head of the Department for
the protection of the rights of servicemen and their family members of the
Human Rights Defender’s Office Andranik Yeghoyan as well as Parliament members,
representatives of the OSCE, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of
Defense, the National Security Service, the Investigative Committee, the
Security Council, the General Prosecutor's Office, non-governmental
organizations and experts participated in the discussion organized within the framework
of the general meeting of the "National Platform for Democratic Security
Sector Oversight" established adjunct to the Standing Committee on Defense
and Security of National Assembly, held on October 31 and November 1 with the
support of OSCE.
Welcoming
the participants, Anahit Manasyan stated that the security sector and
democratic oversight on it are extremely important from the viewpoint of having
a proper human rights protection system. In this context, the Defender
emphasized that there was a perception among the public for decades that human
rights, democracy and democratic oversight are opposed to security and the
security sector, but this is a misunderstanding.
"I
would like to emphasize that it is impossible to have a proper security sector without
instilling values related to human rights, and vice versa, it is impossible to
have an uninterrupted system of human rights protection without a proper
security sector. Therefore, our main goal should be the combined and parallel
development of the mentioned two sectors", stated the Defender in her
opening speech.
Anahit
Manasyan also presented the main directions of the activities of the Human
Rights Defender’s Office in this regard. She acknowledged the state's efforts
while emphasizing that there are numerous challenges in the field that require
careful attention and effective solutions.
The
Defender also touched upon the significance of the police reforms, highlighting
their importance, particularly in the context of the activities carried out by
the institute under her leadership.
"During
regular meetings with the police representatives, we engage in discussions
about various issues, actively seeking to comprehend potential solutions. The
Human Rights Defender constantly speaks about the serious problems in the
field. Of course, I would also like to record the progress made, but it is
obvious that there are still many unresolved issues, for example, the problem
of the use of excessive force by the police within the framework of the
exercise of the right to freedom of assembly, which at the moment needs
systemic solutions. It is also important to overcome various problematic issues
related to the legality of restriction in the process of restricting the rights
of individuals by the police. The approach of the state to these matters should
not be partial and situational but rather systemic and methodological”, stated
the Defender.
According
to the Defender, elevating the level of sensitivity to human rights and
benevolence within the law enforcement system is paramount. This can play a
distinctive role in establishing a proper system for the protection of human
rights.
In
her speech, Anahit Manasyan also underscored the significance of effectively
addressing critical issues concerning protection of human rights in the armed
forces and emphasized the need for consistent steps to overcome these
challenges.
Concluding
her speech, the Defender emphasized the significance of the platform,
highlighting its role, as it creates an opportunity to discuss joint options
for solving problems within the sector.
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