Arman Tatoyan meets with CoE Secretary General in Strasbourg

While on a working visit in Strasbourg, Armenia’s Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan had a meeting with Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland, the Ombudsman’s Office told.

During the meeting the works of the Ombudsman’s staff during the organization and holding of the Armenian parliamentary election were presented and discussed. In particular, the principles and priorities of the activity of a working group created for that purpose were presented.

They also discussed the complaints, reports registered during the election, as well as the measures taken for solving these issues. The CoE Secretary General was reported on the new regulations over the Law on “Human Rights Defender” that relate to the work of civil society and state bodies.

They talked about the cooperation directions in the spheres of preventing torture and ill-treatment, protection of economic rights, as well as the rights of soldiers, children. The results of fact-finding activities confirming Azerbaijani shelling near Chinari village of Armenia’s Tavush province were presented. Ombudsman Arman Tatoyan also raised the issue of Azerbaijan’s anti-Armenian policy and its dangerous manifestations for the European structures and the Council of Europe in particular.

By launching a prosecution towards international experts, including the MEPs and reporters, Azerbaijan cannot achieve anything, and the international organizations on human rights must be actively engaged in Artsakh.

Thorbjørn Jagland attached importance to the stance of the Human Rights Defender and the work carried out over installing European standards in Armenia. The sides agreed to continue cooperation and take measures aimed at implementing the agreements reached at the meeting.