Anahit Manasyan Starts Personnel Purge in the Human Rights Defender's Office

The newspaper 'Hraparak' reports: 'Anahit Manasyan, who has just begun her tenure as the Human Rights Defender, has started a genuine personnel purge in the office. She informed the staff that she is forming her own team and it would be better if they voluntarily submitted their resignations and left. Some employees agreed to Manasyan's proposal, considering resistance pointless and acknowledging that every leader should form their desired team.

We had reported that on the very first day of Manasyan's presidency, the chief secretary of the office, Ani Mkhitaryan, submitted her resignation and was dismissed. We have learned that Hrant Jilavyan, the head of the department for the protection of human rights in the criminal justice sector and armed forces, who served during Kristine Grigoryan's tenure, has also submitted a resignation. The office’s spokesperson, Amalya Margaryan, has also left her position, and Arthur Aslanyan has been appointed in her place.

Manasyan has told all discretionary position holders to resign as she intends to appoint her own personnel. Advisor Lilith Sephilyan has also submitted her resignation. Manasyan even dismissed the office driver who had been in the position since Arman Tatoyan's time, stating that she has her own driver.

The office confirmed our information. In response to the question of how many individuals have been dismissed since Anahit Manasyan took office as the Human Rights Defender, the office replied: 'From April 12 to today, the chief secretary of the Human Rights Defender's office, three assistants to the Defender, one advisor, and one department head have been dismissed by their own application.'

For more details, see today's issue of the newspaper.