Armenian Ombudsperson in Copenhagen presents issues of disclosing torture cases among displaced persons

 18:36, 8 November 2023

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS. The Human Rights Defender of Armenia Ms. Anahit Manasyan on November 6-8 participated in the 14th international conference of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) in Copenhagen.

 The Secretary General of the Armenian Human Rights Defender's Office Nina Pirumyan also participated in the conference entitled "Torture and other ill-treatment: the role of National Human Rights Institutions.’’

 The aim of the international conference was to study and define the role and challenges of states and human rights institutions in addressing and preventing the risks and root causes of torture and other forms of ill-treatment.

Anahit Manasyan presented to international partners the experience of working as a human rights defender in the Republic of Armenia as a national preventive mechanism.

The work of the Public Council attached to the Defender and the culture of cooperation with civil society organizations on issues related to torture and other forms of ill-treatment were noted.

During separate discussions, Ms. Anahit Manasyan presented issues regarding specific mechanisms for identifying, addressing and ensuring rights against torture and other forms of ill-treatment of forcibly displaced persons, emphasizing the importance of the mentioned issue in the context of recent events, in particular the forced deportation of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia.

In that context, the issues raised within the framework of the fact-finding work carried out by the Human Rights Defender were emphasized.

The Human Rights Defender  has reached a number of agreements on further cooperation with partners who are members of the Global Alliance of National Institutions and expressed her readiness to participate in new initiatives related to the protection of human rights.

Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS