Human Rights Defender Explains Why Calls from Assaulted Lawyers Went Unanswered

The Human Rights Defender's Office clarified that no calls were submitted to the hotline regarding the assault of lawyers at the Police Department of Erebuni. During a press conference held today, February 10, 2023, at the Armenian Bar Association, it was noted that a report concerning the assault on the lawyers was made to the Human Rights Defender's Office, but the calls remained unanswered.

It is essential to emphasize that the Human Rights Defender's Office operates 24/7, and a round-the-clock rapid response hotline is in operation, which, incidentally, receives numerous calls from lawyers engaged in professional activities.

The necessary measures are taken for the reports submitted within the jurisdiction of the Defender's institution, including rapid response visits.

An investigation conducted by the Human Rights Defender's Office indicates that no calls were received on the hotline regarding the mentioned incident on February 9, 2023.

At the same time, it should be noted that the call made by the lawyer to the city phone number of the Human Rights Defender's reception outside working hours cannot be evaluated as a failure of the institution to respond or as inactivity on the part of the office, thus overshadowing the activities and reputation of the Defender's institution.

Moreover, it is well-known that the Defender's office operates a 116 hotline that provides access to individuals, including lawyers, for support outside of working hours.

The investigation also shows that the lawyer called the reception phone number of the Defender's office around 21:00 on the specified day; therefore, due to being outside of working hours, that call could not be serviced, and the failure to contact the appropriate phone number was viewed as an inactivity of the staff.

Nonetheless, the Defender's office continues to carry out its mission honorably, and as previously reported, discussions on the matter of violence applied to lawyers by the Erebuni Police Department have commenced under the decision of the temporary replacement of the Defender.