RA Human Rights Defender responds to Ruben Vardanyan`s letter 

ArmInfo.Below is a statement by the Office of the RA Human Rights Defender: The message from Mr. Ruben Vardanyan, addressed to the Human Rights  Defender of the Republic of Armenia, Ms. Anahit Manasyan, has been  disseminated through social and mass media platforms.

The message contains a number of observations concerning the mandate  and powers of the Human Rights Defender's institution, which we  consider it necessary to address below.

Firstly, we consider it important to emphasize that the institution  of the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia operates on  the principle of independence; it is not part of the Government,  functions independently thereof, and has been accredited by the  Sub-Committee on Accreditation of the Global Alliance of National  Human Rights Institutions of the United Nations with the "A status",  attesting the independence of the institution.

The aforementioned status of the Human Rights Defender of the  Republic of Armenia implies that the latter neither can nor does  conduct negotiations on behalf of the state, nor does it carry out  the state's foreign policy; rather, it operates exclusively within  the mandate assigned to the Human Rights Defender under the  legislation of the Republic of Armenia and in accordance with  international standards.

Accordingly, the powers of the Human Rights Defender of the Republic  of Armenia extend exclusively to the processes of recording alleged  human rights violations committed by state bodies and local self-  government authorities of the Republic of Armenia, irrespective of  the citizenship of the rights holder.  Moreover, the RA Human Rights  Defender is authorized to conduct monitoring visits to places of  deprivation of liberty and to freely use all available tools during  such visits exclusively within the Republic of Armenia.

At the same time, we consider it necessary to emphasize that, within  the framework of peace processes, National Human Rights Institutions  can play a key role, while strictly adhering to the international  standards and ethical principles established for their activities and  carrying out this role on the basis of independence, impartiality,  neutrality, pluralism, and cooperation.

The Office of the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia,  being an institution accredited by the United Nations as an  independent body, has been consistently using its tools in  post-conflict and peace processes, including with the view of  ensuring the rights of Armenians deprived of liberty in Azerbaijan  rather than considering the immediate activation of all humanitarian  and legal mechanisms to be of critical importance only in the current  situation.

In this regard, information subject to publication is available on  the official platforms of the Human Rights Defender. At the same  time, it should be taken into account that the activities of National  Human Rights Institutions are also guided by the principles of  confidentiality and "do no harm," which are upheld by the Human  Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia and will continue to be  maintained in all processes going forward.

We express our perplexity regarding the following statement contained  in the message: "In the course of our conversation /with the  Azerbaijani Ombudsperson/, it was also mentioned that the possibility  of your visit to Baku had already been discussed, and that the  Azerbaijani side had expressed readiness to facilitate such a visit".  We deem it necessary to underscore that the Office of the Human  Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia has not received any  official proposal concerning cooperation on the matter under  discussion, nor has it received any confirmation that the Azerbaijani  side has expressed readiness to facilitate such cooperation.

At the same time, it should be taken into consideration that any  issue concerning the protection of rights within the territory of a  given state falls within the mandate of that state's Ombudsman /  National Human Rights Institution, constitutes a function of that  state's Ombudsperson, and cannot in any way be conditioned upon  communication with the Human Rights Institution of another state.

The Office of the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia  has consistently been, and continues to be, open to cooperation and  communication with counterpart human rights institutions, provided  that such engagement is carried out in strict compliance with the  aforementioned principles - namely, independence, impartiality,  neutrality, and adherence to ethical standards.

We further emphasize that modern human rights protection systems  require the existence of an internationally recognized independent  monitoring mechanism, operating on the basis of the principle of  independence, for the purpose of ensuring the protection of the  rights of persons deprived of liberty, which constitutes a  fundamental priority in the present context as well.

Ruben Vardanyan, who has been held captive by Azerbaijan since  September 2023, appealed to the Armenian Ombudsman on April 21,  urging her to visit Azerbaijan and inspect the conditions of  Armenians in Baku prisons.

The exact number of Armenian prisoners of war and hostages held in  Azerbaijani prisons remains unknown. Experts estimate the number to  be several hundred. Today, Azerbaijani authorities confirm the  presence of 19 Armenians in their custody. Among those held in  Azerbaijani captivity are eight former and current members of the  military-political leadership of Artsakh. These include former  Artsakh presidents Arkady Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, and Arayik  Harutyunyan; former Foreign Minister David Babayan; as well as  Parliament Speaker David Ishkhanyan; former Commander of the Artsakh  Defense Army General Levon Mnatsakanyan; General David Manukyan; and  former State Minister Ruben Vardanyan. Today, the Baku puppet court  sentenced Arayik Harutyunyan, David Babayan, David Ishkhanyan, David  Manukyan, and Levon Mnatsakanyan to life imprisonment, and Bako  Sahakyan, Arkady Ghukasyan, and Ruben Vardanyan to 20 years in prison  on trumped-up charges. The so-called court sentenced the remaining  Artsakh residents to up to 15 years in prison.