Video: Tatoyan's Term as Ombudsman Nears Completion, Summarizes Six Years of Work

If in 2020, Armenia's Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan received 14,780 applications, in 2021 the number of applications directed to Tatoyan reached 21,181. He has published a video on his Facebook page summarizing his six years of work through individual cases.

"I usually start my work around 08:00-08:30 and finish between 23:00-24:00. I cannot recall any instance when I left before 18:00 to go home," says Tatoyan, adding that he often receives complaints from citizens even at midnight.

Tatoyan highlights a case of a woman in the "Abovyan" Penitentiary, who was nearing the end of her sentence and was also studying at a university. When she applied to take her exams, she was denied permission. "My issue would not have been resolved without the support of the defender. Due to delays, I graduated from my university a year later," recounts the woman, who thanks to her education was also able to find a job and visited the Ombudsman’s office after receiving her first salary.

The applications received by Tatoyan have pertained to various sectors, including health, social issues, and matters related to the armed forces. For instance, a citizen approached the Ombudsman, stating that instead of a free heart surgery for their acute myocardial infarction, they were charged a fee. With the intervention of the Ombudsman, the citizen was able to retrieve the money as compensation.

Tatoyan mentions that often people write in their applications that the Human Rights Defender's institution is their last hope from whom they expect assistance. This further obligates him to reach a positive resolution in every case.

It should be recalled that on January 24, the National Assembly elected the candidate nominated by the "Civil Contract" faction, former Deputy Minister of Justice Kristine Grigoryan, as Armenia's Human Rights Defender. Arman Tatoyan's term will end on February 23.