Armenia`s Ombudsman declines to comment on whether she condemns  violence by officials against citizens

ArmInfo. Armenia's Human Rights Defender Anahit Manasyan avoided answering a direct question from journalists during a briefing about whether she condemns violence by officials against citizens.  The discussion focused on an incident today involving the beating of the beating of public figure  Artur Chakhoyan by the head of Yerevan's Nor Nork administrative  district, Tigran Ter-Margaryan. Chakhoyano came to the administration  building to discuss the  construction of a kindergarten and a  playground with the head of Nor Nork. It should be noted that as a  result of the fight, it was not Ter-Margaryan who was detained by law  enforcement officers, but the injured activist Artur Chakhoyan, who  was not only attacked by the head of Nor-Nork, but also by some of  his subordinates. Chakhoyan is currently hospitalized.

The Human Rights Defender noted that she had not yet had time to  familiarize herself with the video materials that had been  circulating on Armenian social networks since the morning. The  Ombudsman assured that she would  return to her office, watch the  videos, and then consider further actions within the scope of her  authority. Manasyan noted that the Ombudsman's office does not bear  direct responsibility for initiating a criminal case regarding the  fight that took place. According to her, the most important  institution in the context of assessing the behavior of officials is  the Ethics Institute, which is not functioning properly in Armenia.

In connection with the incident, the "Five Human Rights Defenders  Initiative" also issued a statement.  They noted that despite the  hooligan behavior displayed by the head of Nor-Nork and his  subordinates towards public figure Artur Chakhoyan, it was ironic  that law enforcement officers who arrived at the scene detained the  victim instead of the actual hooligans. "Nevertheless, such behavior  of the police officers is not something strange, as the immediate  supervisor of their actions is a police officer subject to criminal  prosecution, but who remained unpunished for participating in the  torture of a citizen a year ago. It is important to emphasize that  the actions of the prefect and his subordinates meet the criteria for  both hooliganism and torture. We expect that political and public   pressure  will lead to law enforcement officers being held  accountable  and brought back within the bunds of the law," the  statement says.