It Is Necessary to Exclude Any Development That Brings Tension: RA Human Rights Defender

The current situation in the country demands exceptional efforts from all of us to ensure solidarity and unity, and respect for each other’s dignity and speech. It is necessary to exclude any development that brings tension. The RA Human Rights Defender, Arman Tatoyan, stated this on his Facebook page.

“1. Public authorities and current officials are obliged to be exemplary in their words and behavior for the sake of solidarity and unity, regardless of political or any other views. Recognized public figures also play a significant role in this regard. The formula is clear: the demands placed by the Human Rights Defender on public officials are stringent, as these individuals have a specific legal status and are limited by the exhaustive boundaries of that status. However, this does not mean that non-official public figures are exempt from any demands. The imperative to guarantee a universal atmosphere of solidarity in the country especially requires recognized public figures to demonstrate exemplary speech and behavior.

2. When speaking or expressing one’s views, it is essential to consider all possible subtexts and connotations of that speech or expression. This is particularly important in these responsible and sensitive situations. Those public figures and human rights defenders who prevent any manifestations of tension with their actions and words, demonstrate the unacceptability of violence, and contribute to public solidarity are especially commendable.

3. Officials and recognized public figures must not make posts or comments or make statements that contain even direct or indirect insults or hatred.

4. Unfortunately, observations of social networks show that there is a dangerous level of comments and posts spreading hate, insults, calls for violence, and threats, even inciting internal enmity. This is facilitated by organized actions with fake pages and users spreading hate and insult. Therefore, I ask everyone not to get involved in such “discussions” on social networks. Please do not pay attention to the temptations to draw you into these “discussions”; simply ignore them. The atmosphere in the country only becomes more tense with the hatred propagated by them.

5. It is unacceptable to insult human dignity and spread hatred towards each other. This increases tension and raises the likelihood of violence in real life. We must always remember that each of us has the right to freely express our opinion, and we should respect each other’s speech and opinion while adhering to these rules ourselves.

6. In this entire process, state bodies must fulfill their duties conscientiously, acting to the fullest extent of their authority. It is necessary to ensure direct communication with citizens to prevent any kind of disinformation and to respond promptly to any disinformation that leads to tension. Law enforcement agencies must be vigilant and prevent or eliminate any illegal acts pertaining to their jurisdiction, but under one condition: ensuring the rule of law and equal treatment in all situations.

7. I again urge all organizations engaged in journalism and journalists to follow the discussions that unfold under their publications with special attention and to remove comments containing insults, hatred, and expressions that demean dignity. The issue has become so urgent that it is necessary to allocate additional resources to solve it. Furthermore, it is essential to pay attention to the veracity of the information when making any publication, to give greater attention to the selection of headlines, and to act in accordance with the principles of responsible journalism,” he wrote.