Human Rights Defender told her silence is perceived by the public as complicity: Matevosyan (Video)

The Human Rights Defender’s office has stated that it is in contact with relevant structures regarding the case of Narek Samsonyan through written and oral procedures. Following a closed meeting at the Ombudsman’s office, AntiFake.am editor and lawyer Astghik Matevosyan provided journalists with details of the discussion.

She noted that a direct meeting with Human Rights Defender Anahit Manasyan did not take place, as the Ombudsman was attending a consultation.

“They informed us that there are specific instruments available to the Human Rights Defender, within the framework of which it was deemed inappropriate at this stage to issue a public statement or conduct a visit,” Matevosyan said.

She emphasized that they conveyed their position that, in public perception, such silence is viewed as complicity in a crime – a characterization with which the Ombudsman’s staff, naturally, disagreed.

Matevosyan also stated that she intends to submit a formal application on her own behalf to clarify what information the Ombudsman’s office possesses and what information is being communicated to international partners regarding the case of Narek Samsonyan.

According to her, the meeting also addressed issues of public transparency, circumstances surrounding the legal proceedings, and the conditions of the punishment cell, which she described as incompatible with the condition of a person on hunger strike and constituting a violation of his legal rights.