Published Video Clearly Contains Elements of a Crime: Human Rights Defender

The Human Rights Defender of Armenia, Arman Tatoyan, addressed a video involving Armenians and Azerbaijanis on his Facebook page.

"On May 17, 2021, the actions of Azerbaijani servicemen that grossly violate the rights of the Armed Forces of Armenia, as clearly seen in the published video, explicitly contain elements of a crime. Therefore, the issue of protecting and restoring the rights of the Armenian servicemen must be resolved within the framework of a criminal proceeding. Even if the Ministry of Defense of Armenia conducts an internal investigation, it cannot replace the implementation of criminal proceedings," he stated.

The Human Rights Defender plans to send a letter on this matter to law enforcement agencies. Tatoyan emphasizes that state bodies are especially obligated to provide the public with timely and credible information during crisis situations, preventing the development of false materials and misinformation, and officials must refrain from misleading the public and behaviors that deepen divisive lines through provocative statements.

"Besides being an artificial attempt to justify the shortsighted policies of responsible state bodies in communicating correctly with the public, these actions further increase distrust in the actions of officials," noted the Human Rights Defender.