Arman Tatoyan's Response to Today's Incident in the National Assembly

The Human Rights Defender of Armenia, Arman Tatoyan, wrote on his Facebook page that the incident that occurred today in the session hall of the National Assembly during the discussion of the Government's program is extremely concerning.

The parliament must guarantee the restoration of solidarity in society and serve the everyday needs and rights of individuals. The violence exerted against opposition MP Anna Mkrtchyan by a large number of military personnel is extremely condemnable.

There are international requirements that guarantee freedom of political speech and define the limits of that freedom. Therefore, specific rules must be adopted based on these principles so that parliamentary discussions foster proper public discourse and do not lead to such harmful phenomena that disrupt the system of human rights.

Moreover, it is very concerning that recently, military personnel in uniform have been widely engaged in ensuring the safety of the National Assembly, creating a public impression of a militarized parliament. Meanwhile, the National Assembly, as the highest representative body, is the principal guarantor of democracy in the country.