We Already Have Such Examples Where People Take Revenge in Real Life for Insults on the Internet - Ombudsman

On June 9, during a conversation with reporters at the National Assembly, Armenia's Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan addressed the fact that the day before, a website had published materials related to a group rape case, revealing that one of the perpetrators was Gagik Tsarukyan. He stated, "It is not appropriate for me to assess this particular fact, especially since there is no question raised regarding the actions of any apparent state body. I can generally say that the dignity of any person, their private life, and such values are very important. Politics has its principles; outside of politics, there are its principles, but it is not appropriate for me to assess this specific case."

Addressing the manifestations of hate speech and insults in society, Tatoyan noted that it has reached significant levels. "We simply need to stop insulting each other, regardless of whether the person is a public official or otherwise. Particularly in the case of public officials, there is a higher level of responsibility. Unfortunately, we do not encounter healthy discussions online today. It feels like people are divided into groups, insulting each other, competing to see who can insult the other more. The danger is that this can transition into real life. We already have such examples where people take revenge in real life for insults made online," he said.