There are no political prisoners in Armenia, a candidate for human rights defender, Kristine Grigoryan, said in the parliament on Monday, citing a PACE report.

Her comments came in response to a question of MP Anna Grigoryan, who represents the opposition Hayastan faction.

The candidate cited a report of the PACE Monitoring Committee, which has concluded that there are no political prisoners in the country.

“I agree with this statement,” she said.

In response, the opposition lawmaker recalled the criminal proceedings against the opposition heads of a number of Armenian communities, including against Goris community head Arush Arushanyan, who remains in custody. She provided details of the case and said that both Arushanyan and other arrested community leaders are political prisoners.

The candidate for ombudsperson argued that there are specific criteria determining whether a citizen is a political prisoner or not.

Separately, Grigoryan said she is ready to work both with the authorities and the opposition to address border security issues.

Noting that the delimitation and demarcation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border is a complex process, she stressed it must ensure the protection of human rights.   

"I will collaborate both with the ruling force and the opposition, as well as with the state and local self-government bodies to resolve the issues raised. I disagree with the idea that the ombudsperson’s only tool of influence is statements," she added.