This statement refers to a number of problematic issues from the point of view of human rights, which were recorded during yesterday's campaign in Syunik Province. The Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Armenia (RA), Arman Tatoyan, on Wednesday wrote this on Facebook, and in connection with Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s election campaign Tuesday in Syunik.

“1. The constant display of a hammer and the figurative comparisons, which can make people think of solving problems with a hammer, are inadmissible. (…).

Threatening—with law enforcement agencies (…)—other political forces participating in the election campaign is inadmissible.

The context in which the term ‘steel mandate’ is constantly used associated with human rights violations is worrying.

After speeches with such rhetoric by the acting Prime Minister, other high-ranking officials also start—with the same principle—making statements with a vocabulary of hatred and violence, threatening with the intervention of the Police (…).

2. The status of the RA Prime Minister does not include making threats against local self-government bodies, in particular, community leaders.

The matter is that community leaders are officials elected by a primary mandate, by secret ballot of the RA citizen, whereas such an assessment by the Acting Prime Minister is first of all problematic in terms of guaranteeing the citizens' political rights, first of all the right to elect.

3. The speech of the RA Acting Prime Minister about mass dismissals is connected with mass violations of labor rights and arbitrary interventions.

The need to address the mentioned issues is also conditioned by the fact that the RA Acting Prime Minister is perceived by the people as the RA Prime Minister, and not as the acting, during the election campaign rallies,” Tatoyan added, in particular.