Armenia’s Next Ombudsman to be Appointed by President’s Son-in-Law Mishik?

According to information received by local Armenian daily Haykakan Jamanak (“Armenian Times”), Armenia’s Public Council Chair Vazgen Manukyan, who apparently is close to Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, would like to see his brother-in-law, Helsinki Committee Chair Avetik Ishkhanyan, to be the next RA Human Rights Defender.

However, the presidential administration’s First Deputy Chief of Staff, Sargsyan’s son-in-law, Mikael Minasyan (Mishik) has said there’s no need for chaos surrounding the ombudsman’s position. He has made it clear in no uncertain terms that, as in other cases, the nomination for ombudsman is being entrusted to him, reports Haykakan Jamanak.

Rumor has it that one of the people Minasyan has proposed is attorney Karen Andreasyan, the person behind anti-media legislative reforms.

Recall, current RA Human Rights Defender Armen Harutyunyan formally announced his resignation. Harutyunyan accepted a position of Regional Representative of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Central Asia.