YEREVAN. - The first key task of human rights defense is the judicial independent.

Chairman of the Armenian Helskini Committee, Avetik Ishkhanyan, told the aforementioned to Armenian News – NEWS.am on occasion of the International Human Rights Day. 

''The human rights will be protected if the police do not act upon the instruction of the authorities but pursuant to the law and if the courts are independent. But when everything is soldered together, how can one speak of human rights defense? In this situation saying that it is possible to further improve the human rights defense system is merely a delusion,'' he said.

According to Ishkhanyan, the efficiency of the Ombudsman's institute also depends on the judicial independence. The Ombudman's office helps the court but cannot substitute it. Accordingly, where there is no independent court, the Ombudsman is unlikely to be able to help.

''Unlike other authoritative countries, there is a public opinion in Armenia. For instance, in Azerbaijan, the Human Rights Defender constantly praises the authorities, but in Armenia the Human Rights Defender can choose between two paths: either to lose his reputation defending the authorities or be chased by the authorities and not be able to continue its activity. All the three human rights defenders of Armenia chose the second path,'' he stated.