MEPs not on Interpol’s “wanted list,” Armenia’s Ombudsman says

Azerbaijan will achieve nothing with senseless and false statements, Armenia’s Human Rights Defender has said.

“The Members of the European Parliament are not wanted by the Interpol, and this has already been confirmed by RA Police,” Ombudsman Arman Tatoyan said, commenting on the information that a criminal case has been instigated against MEPs Frank Engel, Eleni Theocharous and Jaromir Stetina for visiting Artsakh and observing the Constitutional Referendum.

Arman Tatoyan is confident that Azerbaijani’s steps will make the visits of journalists and politicians more frequent. “A vivid evidence of this was the visit of 104 foreign observers from 30 countries during the Constitutional referendum in Artsakh. All of them, including Frank Engel, Eleni Theocharous and Jaromir Stetina, are carriers of democratic values. The visits of foreign guests and their activity in Artsakh have always and will always be lawful.”

“We have to do our best to reach the recognition of Artsakh with its democratic institutions,” the Ombudsman said.

Arman Tatoyan reiterated his commitment to work to ensure the democratic recognition of Artsakh.

He believes “it’s high time to eliminate the so-called “black list.” “No vicious step by Azerbaijan will ever hamper the development of democracy in Artsakh,” the Human Rights Defender concluded.