On May 7, the Human Rights Defender Anahit Manasyan participated in the plenary session of the Council of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) in Geneva.
Within the framework of the event, issues related to the prevention of torture and the rights of forcibly displaced persons and refugees were also discussed.
Anahit Manasyan presented the importance of effective investigation of cases related to torture and other forms of ill-treatment. The Defender emphasized the need to improve the capabilities of law enforcement agencies and to develop and implement joint programs aimed at the investigation of the mentioned cases.
Reference was made to the activities of the Council for the Prevention of Torture adjunct to the Defender of the RA, which includes civil society representatives.
"The Council for the Prevention of Torture is a very important platform for listening to our civil society partners on sectoral issues, in terms of conveying their concerns to state bodies as well," stated the Defender.
The Human Rights Defender presented to the participants of the event issues related to the protection of the rights of people forcibly displaced from Nagorno Karabakh, emphasized the need to develop and implement special structures for the protection of their rights, and emphasized the role of international organizations in this process.
Anahit Manasyan highlighted the importance of combining the efforts of national human rights institutions and increasing support in the protection of the rights of forcibly displaced persons, asylum seekers and refugees, stressing that the latter are often victims of persecution and ill-treatment and their problems must be properly addressed. In this context, the Defender made several suggestions.