Cases of Obstructing the Implementation of the Human Rights Defender's Powers Recorded

In recent days, during rapid response visits, representatives of the Human Rights Defender have recorded cases of obstruction by certain lawyers regarding the implementation of the powers of the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia. This was stated on the Facebook page of the Human Rights Defender.

“In particular, some lawyers have guided detained individuals not to engage in private conversations with staff members of the Human Rights Defender and not to disclose any information to them. It is essential to emphasize that lawyers are important partners of the Human Rights Defender, and their professional work is of particular significance for the effectiveness of the Defender's activities. Trust and cooperation between the Defender's office and lawyers are very important. This primarily stems from the interests of individuals deprived of liberty. Therefore, I urge against harmful actions that could violate the constitutional right of every individual to receive support from the Human Rights Defender and negatively impact the professional reputation of lawyers.

At the same time, it is equally important to emphasize that many lawyers have shown a cooperative and partnership approach during recent rapid response visits, which has contributed to obtaining a more comprehensive understanding and documentation of problematic practices by the police and violations of individuals' rights.

A high level of effective cooperation has traditionally been established between the Defender’s office and the Bar Association, which serves the effective protection of human rights and freedoms,” he wrote.