Government Must Provide Public Explanation of 'Mirror Withdrawal of Forces' and Its Implications for National Security: Human Rights Defender

The government must provide a public explanation of what 'mirror withdrawal of forces' means and how it will guarantee the security and rights of the citizens of the Republic of Armenia (RA). This was stated by the Human Rights Defender of RA, Arman Tatoyan, on his Facebook page.

“The government must publicly explain what 'mirror withdrawal of forces' means and how it will guarantee the security and rights of the citizens of the RA. The government cannot avoid disclosing details under the guise of 'secrecy' or 'confidentiality' since this issue is directly related to the security and dignity, life, and other vital rights of the entire population of our country [especially those living in border regions],” he noted.

At this moment, it is entirely unclear how the government plans to ensure this so-called 'mirror withdrawal of forces,' especially given that border issues continue to be addressed from political and military perspectives, without a human rights framework. Moreover, various high-level officials have caused damage to the security and rights of border residents with their statements, attempting to avoid or soften political discontent directed towards them.

Currently, the Armed Forces of the RA, as well as border and other servicemen, are directly carrying out this mission. The Azerbaijani authorities have never reduced their political policy of hatred and hostility at the state level [based on ethnic and religious backgrounds]. Real threats to our country and the safety of the entire population persist, with ongoing criminal acts by Azerbaijan against our people, including thefts, social issues, and incidents involving the killings of servicemen and civilians.

In addition to this, studies indicate that this concept proposed by the government has created confusion among the people. It is in the interest of the state to publish information that prevents uncertainty from the government’s statements and prohibits the spread of information from fake or unknown sources.

In the interview, the Human Rights Defender also discussed other human rights issues, noting that there are laws being adopted with violations of established procedures and ambiguous formulations, which later create problems for people in practice,” Tatoyan added.