The
Human Rights Defender of Armenia, Anahit Manasyan, met with the delegation led
by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Sweden to
Armenia, Patrik Svensson.
Welcoming
the guests, Anahit Manasyan presented to the Ambassador the key areas of the
activities of the Human Rights Defender, which include, inter alia, the
protection of the rights of women, children, national minorities, persons with
disabilities, human rights within the armed forces, the fight against hate
speech, the atmosphere of intolerance, and discrimination.
During
the meeting, Anahit Manasyan highlighted the current challenges in ensuring
equality and combating discrimination in the country. In this context, the
Defender emphasized the unacceptable scale of hate speech, discrimination, and
intolerance in the Republic of Armenia today, underscoring the importance of
the ongoing efforts to combat these issues. The Defender stated that these phenomena
have become widespread in Armenia, which is unacceptable. Particularly
concerning is the use of discriminatory rhetoric and hate speech on all
grounds, especially by the academic community, political and public figures, as
well as in the media. Anahit Manasyan stressed that any manifestation of hate
speech must be excluded from public discourse.
The
Defender also addressed the protection of the rights of forcibly displaced
persons from Nagorno-Karabakh, referencing the fact-finding activities
conducted by herself and her staff.
Environmental
rights and issues related to the right of citizens to rest were also discussed
during the meeting.
In
turn, Ambassador Patrik Svensson expressed his gratitude for the reception and
emphasized the important role of the Defender’s Office in fulfilling the
mission of protecting human rights.
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