On July 1, the Human Rights Defender Anahit Manasyan met with the newly elected Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, Michael O'Flaherty (start of office on April 1, 2024), within the framework of her working visit to Strasbourg, Armenian Ombudsperson’s press office reports.
Anahit Manasyan, congratulating Michael O'Flaherty on his election as the Human Rights Commissioner of the Council of Europe, wished him success in fulfilling this responsible mission.
The Defender spoke about the problems in a number of human rights fields, addressed the challenges in the field of guaranteeing equality and anti-discrimination. In this context, the Defender emphasized the importance of carrying out large-scale works within the framework of overcoming the atmosphere of hate speech, discrimination, and intolerance.
A special reference was made to the protection of the rights of people forcibly displaced from Nagorno Karabakh, to the work carried out by the Human Rights Defender in that field. Anahit Manasyan noted that the protection of the rights of forcibly displaced persons implies a special methodology, which should be at the core of the work carried out by all bodies in this context. The Defender also referred to the issues related to the protection of the rights of the residents of the border settlements of the Republic of Armenia, emphasized the need to guarantee human rights within the framework of all the processes.
The interlocutors discussed, among other things, issues related to the possibilities of expanding cooperation in the field of human rights protection.
In turn, Michael O'Flaherty thanked for the meaningful conversation and emphasized the willingness to continue close cooperation with the Defender's institution.
