Representatives from 50 countries and international organizations visited Armenia for a conference organized by the Human Rights Defender in honor of a decade of activities for the prevention of torture. The former Human Rights Defenders of Armenia were also present, except for Karen Andreasyan. Ombudsman Arman Tatoyan said that Andreasyan is currently not in the country, hence why he is unable to be present. EU ambassador to Armenia Piotr Świtalski said that Armenia’s achievements and experience with the national mechanism for prevention are something other countries can look up to.
The first Armenian Human Rights Defender, Larisa Alaverdyan, told reporters, “The past needs to be evaluated not only within the context of the mistakes and omissions by the authorities but also through the active work that the most active classes and bodies carried out in our society. The Human Rights Defender has its own unique place there. We cannot judge the past without taking into consideration the real efforts that were made.”
Speaking about the Human Rights Defender’s achievements, Larisa Alaverdyan said that the authorities’ treatment towards the Human Rights Defender has changed. “The authorities did not understand what kind of structure this is; is this the largest NGO, or the weakest state body? The work of all the past Defenders brought upon change. The second greatest achievement is the understanding of human rights in our society and what issues can be presented to the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman is no longer seen as some sort of saint, nor do people go to him as a haven for hope.” She said that, nevertheless, we still have not completely restored human rights.
Hripsime Jebejyan
