On June 14, the Human Rights
Defender Ms. Anahit Manasyan received the Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary of Canada to Armenia H.E. Mr. Andrew Turner to Armenia.
The meeting was also attended
by Senior Arctic Official, and Director General of Arctic, Eurasian, and
European Affairs, Mr. Robert Sinclair, and Advisor to the Ambassador Mr. Aaron
Koh.
Welcoming the guests, Ms.
Manasyan presented the scope of mandate of the Human Rights Defender as a
constitutional body, the priorities, and the directions of activity.
Reference was made to the
protests that took place in Yerevan, and the human rights violations recorded
during that period. In this context, the Defender noted that on June 12,
herself and the representatives of the Defender’s Office visited Police
stations and medical institutions, met the participants of the protests and
Police officers that were receiving medical aid, and registered the problems.
The mentioned information, including the issue of the use of special measures
by the Police, are currently being analyzed by the Defender's Office within the
framework of the discussion procedure. Based on the results of the analysis,
the Defender will present her position regarding the legality of the use of the
special measures.
The Defender also emphasized
the importance of Police reforms from the viewpoint of establishing a proper
system of human rights protection. Issues related to the right to freedom of
assembly, and the right to freedom of speech were also discussed.
The interlocutors discussed
issues related to the current challenges in the field of guaranteeing equality
and anti-discrimination in our country. In this context, the Defender
emphasized the impermissible climate of hate speech, discrimination, and
intolerance in Armenia today, and the importance of the work carried out within
the framework of the fight against it.
The interlocutors referred to
the protection of the rights of persons forcibly displaced from
Nagorno-Karabakh, and the fact-finding activities carried out by the Human
Rights Defender and her Office.
The registered information
was summarized in the ad hoc report of the Human Rights Defender, which was
presented by the Defender to the international organizations and actors with a
mandate to protect human rights, with the advisory/confidential section proving
its authenticity.
The Ambassador thanked the
Defender for the reception and effective discussion.
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