NGOs issue statement on human rights protection in Armenia

A group of NGOs have issued a statement.

STATEMENT

On 5 April 2019, at the initiative of the Standing Committee on Human Rights Protection and Public Affairs of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia and with the support of the UN House in Armenia and the Staff of the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia, the National Assembly held parliamentary hearings devoted to the National Agenda of Human Rights. The speeches and commentaries showed the public once again the serious systemic problems with respect for and protection of fundamental human rights. The attitude that Chair of the Standing Committee on Human Rights Protection and Public Affairs of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, Deputy of the National Assembly Naira Zohrabyan and a group of other deputies showed towards a representative of the LGBT community was a crude violation of human rights protection that fully breached the mission of the Committee.

We the undersigned representatives of the organizations and individuals join all citizens, local and international organizations who expressed their concerns about the violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms that were committed in the National Assembly of New Armenia.

We express our deep concern over the response of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, which supposedly represents the official position of the Government of the Republic of Armenia. The released position subordinates fundamental human rights, particularly being free from discrimination and legal equality, that is, “the principle of social morality’, which is completely refutable and is atypical of a state that has adopted democratic principles.

We call on the Government of the Republic of Armenia to review its official position and assert that it is unquestionably loyal to the principles of human rights protection and to its commitments to show high respect to the dignity of all humans assumed under the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia and international treaties, without exclusions, partiality and ambiguities.

We call on the Government of the Republic of Armenia:

To take immediate and active measures to bring those who provoke and commit crude human rights violations, discriminate and provoke hatred and violence and continue the unlawful working style that was common in the atmosphere of impunity during the term of the former government (hiding it under the veil of “social morality”) to justice;

To enshrine the supremacy of human rights and democratic values at the level of the State and all the institutions connected to the State;

To organize large-scale educational and awareness-raising events to eliminate the propaganda of discrimination and hate speech that has been dangerously growing over the past few years and restore the violated rights of citizens.

Anyone can join this statement.

Transparency International Anti-Corruption Center

Helsinki Citizen’s Assembly Vanadzor Office

Open Society Foundations - Armenia

Asparez Journalists’ Club

Pink human rights defender NGO

Sose Women Issues NGO

Public Journalism Club

Armavir Development Center

Women’s Support Center NGO

New Generation Humanitarian NGO

Spitak Helsinki Group NGO