Epress.am News from Armenia
Armenia’s National Assembly today voted 83 in favor of and 13 against Karen Andreasyan’s appointment as the country’s next ombdusman. Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) MPs voted against, while Heritage Party abstained.
Speaking to Epress.am, head of the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor Office, human rights activist Artur Sakunts said people in the Human Rights Defender position have no role whatsoever.
“Whatever the authorities do, it’s going to arise from the same logical framework. All actions stemming from their activities have the same logic. People have no significance here,” he said.
Helsinki Committee of Armenia chair Avetik Ishkhanyan didn’t currently wish to share his opinion on the newly elected ombudsman.
“I got acquainted with him once in a fleeting manner; I can’t yet express any opinion. Time will tell,” he said.
Committee for the Protection of Political Prisoners and Persecuted People coordinator Vardan Harutyunyan also didn’t want to comment at this time. “He’s not someone in this field, I can’t say anything.”
As previously reported, second Human Rights Defender Armen Harutyunyan officially resigned on Feb. 1, after accepting a new position as Regional Representative of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Central Asia (seat in Bishkek).