ArmInfo. The Office of the RA Human Rights Defender reacted sharply to the statements of the Armenian Ministry of Defense about the groundlessness of the message of Ombudsman Arman Tatoyan of October 18, where the latter particularly noted that the Azerbaijani armed forces, which unlawfully invaded the RA Gegharkunik region, were carrying out active fortifications in the immediate vicinity of the RA villages, including road construction, accumulated a large amount of firewood, etc.
The statement of the Office of the RA Ombudsman states that after this statement of the Ministry of Defense of Armenia, a campaign was actually launched to discredit the activities of the Human Rights Defender, which was joined by the Secretary of the Security Council.
"Firstly, the reason for the Ombudsman's statement on October 18 was that the actions of the Azerbaijani armed forces grossly violate such vital rights of the civilian population of the RA as a safe and peaceful life, the right to property, etc. (civilians are fired upon, people cannot use their lands, etc.). The Defender continues to receive numerous alarms and complaints from citizens. And this and any other statement of the Human Rights Defender is based on reliable and factual data, "Tatoyan's Office stressed.
The Office of the Human Rights Defender emphasized that the purpose of the statement of October 18 was to show the illegal actions of the armed forces of Azerbaijan, the direct connection of these actions with the encroachment on the life, property and other vital rights of civilians in the Republic of Armenia. "The fact is that such actions are followed by their subsequent criminal activities, including terrorist acts against civilians and the armed forces, which protect the right to life, safe and peaceful life of this population and other vital rights," the message added.
The Ombudsman's Office stressed that the statement of October 18 is based on facts that the staff of the Human Rights Defender systematically collect based on the results of daily monitoring and alarming research of recent months.
"Therefore, officials of the administrative apparatus of the Ministry of Defense, who decided on October 19 to issue a statement in which they questioned the results of the monitoring meetings of the RA Ombudsman regarding the illegal actions of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, should always remember that the Defender never makes exaggerated statements, and even more so containing inaccuracies.
If the Human Rights Defender makes any public statement, then he has convincing evidence of this, not one, but at least several. Therefore, we demand from the abovementioned officials of the Ministry not to allow such short-sighted statements when reacting to the reports of the RA Ombudsman, "the statement reads.
At the same time, the Office of the RA HRD stated that the officials of the RA Ministry of Defense, who came out with a refutation of the exact data of the Ombudsman in defense of human rights, in order to mitigate political discontent, should have understood that by such actions they also generate an Azerbaijani campaign in the international arena not only on this statement, but also against the credibility of the Defender's activity in general.
The Office of the Ombudsman pointed out that the Azerbaijani media used this statement of the RA Ministry of Defense to their advantage and launched a campaign to discredit the activities of the Office of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia regarding the border situation on international platforms.
"Therefore, it should be borne in mind that the reports and statements of the HRD are made, even if they may cause political discontent, but instead they become a valuable source for the protection of the rights of RA citizens, used in international instances such as the International Court of Justice, the European Court of Human Rights, etc.
The reports and statements of the Ombudsman are always based on primary sources, and not on indirect and distorted data. They are valuable because they are the result of independent work," the RA Ombudsman Office added, while accusing the Armenian Defense Ministry of unwillingness even to support Tatoyan's initiative to create a security zone around the border with Azerbaijan, which is becoming more widespread in the international arena, and which is aimed to protect the life of the civilian population and military personnel of the Republic of Armenia and other rights from Azerbaijani criminal acts.
Tatoyan's Office also stressed that they have always closely interacted with the RA Ministry of Defense and acted in this cooperation on the principle of "do no harm", and they expect the same attitude towards themselves.
"And the statement of the RA Human Rights Defender of October 18 concerned exclusively the criminal actions of Azerbaijan. This is not about the servicemen selflessly serving in RA positions. We invite the newly appointed Governor of Gegharkunik to study in detail the principles of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia, the results of work and the current situation in order to improve awareness ", the Office of the HRD added, expressing the hope that close cooperation with the administration of Gegharkunik region will also continue.
In conclusion, the office of the HRd posted several videos confirming the illegal incursions of Azerbaijanis into Gegharkunik region of the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, as well as the strengthening work of their servicemen in the immediate vicinity of the villages in Gegharkunik.