The Human Rights Defender should say directly that the government violates religious freedom – Sos Hakobyan

Sos Hakobyan, member of the Homeland party and attorney, stated that the role of the Human Rights Defender is not to make theoretical judgments or issue instructive statements about the content of normative acts.

“We know and read what is written in the Constitution and the laws of the Republic of Armenia, and those who do not know can consult professional advisors.

The Ombudsman should be able to say directly whether political authorities are violating citizens’ rights to religious freedom or the autonomy of religious organizations. At a minimum, they should document what has happened, identifying the facts and the responsible persons, especially public figures.

Otherwise, everything else amounts to merely performing functions already prescribed by law,” Hakobyan wrote.

For context, during a conversation with journalists today, Human Rights Defender Anahit Manasyan declined to answer whether the rights of the Catholicos of All Armenians are being violated.