RA Human Rights Defender sends several appeals regarding fate of  former commander of Artsakh Armed Forces

ArmInfo. The Office of the Human Rights Defender does not have a mandate to fully address the  issue of Armenians in Azerbaijan.

However, regarding the protection of their rights, it is in touch with international legal organizations. Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia Anahit Manasyan told reporters on November 1, commenting on the  information about the murder of the former commander of the Artsakh Defense Army Levon Mnatsakanyan in an Azerbaijani prison spread in the Armenian media.

"The issue of Armenians held in Azerbaijan is beyond the competence  of the office, but I am trying, within the limits of my capabilities,  to solve their problems in terms of protecting their rights,"  Manasyan said, adding that she maintains contact with international  human rights organizations. Manasyan emphasized that she could not  talk about details and arrangements, since the information is  confidential. "Although resolving such issues is not included in my  mandate, I constantly address this topic and constantly transmit  information regarding human rights violations," the Defender said.

At the same time, she noted that she personally sends appeals  regarding  every citizen held in Azerbaijan if she considers that  there is a problem. Several such appeals concerned Lieutenant  General, former commander of the Nagorno-Karabakh army Levon  Mnatsakanyan.

The murder of Levon Mnatsakanyan in an Azerbaijani prison was  previously reported by Colonel of the Armenian Armed Forces Reserve  Volodya Hovhannisyan. "I warned that I have information about the  murder of Levon Mnatsakanyan in a Baku prison, and contacted the Red  Cross, the EU office, embassies, the Office of the Human Rights  Defender to confirm or deny this reports," he told <Pastinfo>, adding  that the information was provided to him by former officers of the  Artsakh Defense Army.