Yesterday, the regular plenary session of the 7th sitting of the Parliament of Artsakh took place.
Ruben Melikyan, Artsakh Human Rights Defender, estimated the year 2017 as a quite abundant year for the institution and a quite important one from the perspective of human rights defense in Artsakh. “We have received 119 applications from 150 persons in 2017 (the difference of the figures is connected with the collective applications), which, as compared with 2016, is almost the same. The majority of the applications are ones relative to social security, sufficient living standards, and working rights. We have been quite active in the international communications, have had a few international visits, which we have targeted in three directions: information delivery and the establishment of connections with international organizations, representation in international structures and working with diasporan structures,” mentioned Ruben Melikyan
He emphasized that throughout the year their most important issue continues to remain the incomplete international response to the mass violation of basic human rights caused by Azerbaijan’s aggression on April 2016. Answering to the MPs’ questions, Mr. Melikyan said that they have not received any application on the prosecutions for political views. As regards the incomplete reflection on the violations of the Azerbaijani aggression on April 2016, Mr. Melikyan mentioned that they still cherish hopes, but optimism is not too big, taking into consideration time and political factors.
Davit ABAGHYAN
