ArmInfo. The Office of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia disseminates information regarding the position of the Human Rights Defender in connection with the upcoming elections to the Council of Elders of Yerevan.
According to the message received by ArmInfo, the activity of the Human Rights Defender has a key role for ensuring the implementation of the electoral law from the point of view of guaranteeing the right to vote of every citizen. "Due to the exercise of this right, democratic institutions and the system of governing are being formed in the country. The more free and impartial the elections are, the more the citizen's confidence in the structure. The Office of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia carries out an independent monitoring of the electoral processes in Yerevan based on the fundamental principles of impartial and apolitical work. In the framework of this monitoring, issues were raised that increase the need for expressing the position of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia, " the message of the Human Rights Defender's office reads.
At the same time, the Office reminds that during the democratic processes in Armenia in April-May of the current year, the RA citizen, through the exercise of the right to express his/her own will, was able to provide fundamental changes, and the incumbent Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan played an indispensable role in ensuring the peaceful nature of the meetings. "These events undoubtedly increased people's trust in public authorities, which resulted in important results, including ways to combat electoral bribes or illegal influence on voters, an imperative to exclude the involvement of schools and kindergartens in electoral processes, at the moment complaints concerning police actions related to electoral processes were significantly reduced, but monitoring provided an opportunity to identify a number of problems that arose in connection with the elections to the Council of Elders, for the elimination of which urgent measures must be taken, otherwise the situation will be a threat to the whole system of human rights protection, "the Human Rights Defender office stressed.
The Office emphasizes that there have been recorded trends in the increase of cases of intolerance, insults and even threats, which are most clearly expressed in social networks, which in turn negatively affects the atmosphere of solidarity. At the same time, the Human Rights Defender notes that there has been a significant increase in offensive comments made by fake profiles, and these comments are highlighted by their extreme aggressiveness and intolerance.
The Human Rights Defender also believes that the current situation makes it difficult for journalists to work, and monitoring has shown that publications that contain a different opinion or position in the comments are insulted, and threats are also raised against journalists. "There was an intolerant attitude towards each other by some candidates or individual supporters put forward in the elections, which is expressed through insulting comments or the dissemination of materials that violate the dignity of the person. This is also done with the help of information transmitted from apparently false or anonymous sources. For example, threats and insulting words addressed to NA MP, candidate for mayor of Yerevan Naira Zohrabyan riase concerns. Human Rights Defender Office expresses concerns, including over some of the offensive comments made by officials of some state institutions on social networks, which must be immediately checked in order to ensure that the electoral process is carried out strictly in accordance with the Constitution and the laws of the Republic of Armenia. The appeals of all participants of electoral processes and public figures aimed at providing an atmosphere of solidarity and excluding intolerance are extremely important. It is necessary to eradicate the tendencies aimed at splitting society. It is especially dangerous when it is done by public figures. This phenomenon is problematic from the point of view of the whole system of human rights protection in the country, "the Human Rights Defender said, once again recalling that electoral processes should proceed solely in an atmosphere of tolerance and solidarity.
The Office stressed that the elections to the Council of Elders will be the first intermediate opportunity for transition to a qualitatively new stage of democratic development. "These elections should become a phenomenon that unites the public, makes us more united and appreciate the achievements we have achieved." Tolerance and mutual respect are a guarantee of the implementation of the electoral law and the solidity of the country's legal system designed to ensure solidarity between generations, "the Human Rights Defender 's office concluded.