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On May 3, the National Assembly continued the debate of the annual programme on the activity of the RA Human Rights Defender and the state of protection of human rights and freedoms, the debate of the activity for 2023 as a prevention national mechanism.

During the exchange of ideas, the representatives of the ruling faction, as well as the opposition factions touched upon the problems raised in the documents, underlining that there are assessments reflecting the reality in them.

The deputies of the Civil Contract Faction positively evaluated the work of the HRD during the reporting period, and the members of the opposition factions – negatively.

The opposition deputies spoke about the events happening in Kirants, the violations of human rights, urged the HRD in these days to be present there and to work with the population of that settlement.

In his extraordinary speech the RA NA Vice President Hakob Arshakyan touched upon some viewpoints sounded in the opposition deputies’ speeches, which referred to the cases of Kirants. He noted that part of the citizens closed the road, and other part wished to pass through that road. Underlining that closing the inter-state road is not a way of solving an issue, he documented one’s right is to pass that road, and another person carried out a protest action. The citizens, who closed the road attacked the car and broke it. In this context the NA Vice President spoke about the role of the state. “What is the role of the state that you accuse that the car comes, they break? The law enforcement bodies take steps. And what should they do? Should they let that two citizens retaliate towards each other? Everything should be suspended according to law, which was done wonderfully. It is inadmissible that the citizens will break each other’s cars while exercising their rights,” Hakob Arshakyan underscored and considered unacceptable any words justifying such behaviour. “One cannot break cars, cannot terrorize people, cannot justify the extremities speaking lies,” the NA Vice President noted and called on the people to refuse such workstyle.

Addressing the compatriots residing in the border communities, Hakob Arshakyan asked them to pass this road with mutual trust and assured: “We will not do anything behind your back, and we are not doing. Any metre, milimetre, centimetre will not be given up from the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia. It is not possible by our legislation, and we should pass this path.”

At the sitting the NA Vice President Ruben Rubinyan and the deputies taking the floor, congratulated the representatives of the journalistic community on World Press Freedom Day. As Ruben Rubinyan informed, today the organization Journalists without borders published the report of 2024, according to which, Armenia improved its positions being the 43^rd this year instead of 49 of the previous year among 180 countries.

The representatives of the factions presented viewpoints on the issue under debate.

On behalf of the NA Armenia Faction the Head of the Faction Seyran Ohanyan gave a speech. He referred to the delimitation and demarcation process, underscoring that it is not carried out in accordance with the international norms. “The borders formed during the Soviet Union times are not realistic, and they do not correspond with the geographical natural barriers,” the Head of the Faction expressed such opinion and added: “If do not carry out the demarcation based on geographical natural barriers, then later it will be a basis for tensions and aggressions by the enemy.”

Presenting the viewpoint of the NA Civil Contract Faction, the deputy Vladimir Vardanyan called on his colleagues to show tolerance during the debate of the HRD’s report and to give assessments not to people, but to phenomena. Regarding Seyran Ohanyan’s wording that the Societ borders are not realistic, Vladimir Vardanyan mentioned: “An impression is created that you deny the border, which are defined by Alma-Ata declaration. This is a very dangerous message.” According to the MP, there are no distinctly regulated rules of demarcation and delimitation of borders in the international law.

Touching upon the thankful words sounded on the work done by Anahit Manasyan, Vladimir Vardanyan noted: “I assure you, if during the whole tenure you not hear thanks from the power and from the opposition, then everybody will express thankfulness after the end of your tenure,” the deputy said summing up his speech.

In her closing speech Anahit Manasyan related to the concerns voiced by the deputies regarding the violations of human rights in a number of spheres and gave clarifications on them. In accordance with the constitutional law the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly, the annual programme and report of the Human Rights Defender was taken as a note.