Arman Tatoyan on Upcoming Elections

Arman Tatoyan, the Human Rights Defender of Armenia, stated that all political forces participating in the parliamentary snap elections must exclude insults and abusive language, as well as any speech related to hatred and violence. This demand particularly applies to public figures and especially to those who hold office and have a state status.

Specifically, it is gravely condemnable for the Acting Prime Minister to use such vocabulary (for example, "group," "outcast") among participants in the electoral process, as it directly contributes to the already polarized political and social atmosphere in society and undermines the prospects of restoring harmony in the country.

Moreover, from a human rights perspective, the rhetoric of replacing the so-called “velvet” mandate with a “steel” or “iron” mandate and the phrase “breaking the teeth of the group” is entirely unacceptable. It not only draws clear dividing lines within society, but also, regardless of interpretation, is overtly associated with violence and even retaliation, posing dangerous risks that can transfer to real life.

Since the country is currently in an electoral process, such messages may be perceived as threats directed at political opponents from a person holding high-state authority, which is inadmissible, considering their political rights.

The Human Rights Defender’s comments regarding the Acting Prime Minister of Armenia are made with the consideration that he is perceived as not just a political figure, but as the head of the executive authority of the Republic of Armenia, exercising powers derived from that status. Therefore, his words may be misinterpreted by the public and also convey misleading messages to state institutions, especially law enforcement agencies.

In addition to this, monitoring by the Human Rights Defender indicates that in the social media domains where the Acting Prime Minister's statements have been circulated under such headlines, there have been recorded widespread insults and hate speech from users on social networks, along with mutual accusations.

Unfortunately, the artificial discourse of mutual labeling is deepening in the public sphere, which is essentially an inadmissible agenda that divides society into groups and sows discrimination. The observations of the Human Rights Defender’s office indicate that this situation further exacerbates organized targeted attacks by fake pages and accounts on social networks that support both the powers that be and various opposition circles.

Therefore, I call on all political forces participating in the electoral process, public figures, and especially those with state authority to refrain from actions that polarize society and increase tensions, as well as from language that disseminates insults or hatred and is associated in any way with violence. Instead, healthy discussions should be fostered.

The processes related to the snap parliamentary elections in the Republic of Armenia are and will remain under the direct attention of the Human Rights Defender.