Heroic Parents Face Absolute Insults, Memory of Fallen Soldiers Disrespected: Arman Tatoyan

The director of the Center for Law and Justice, Arman Tatoyan, who previously served as Armenia's Human Rights Defender, writes on his Facebook page: “Why have you deprived the mother of a fallen soldier, who died heroically in the war, of her freedom? What kind of 'insurmountable necessity' has been discovered that justifies this? Why is it that there was an immediate arrest or detention?

Why were the parents of fallen soldiers taken under absolutely unacceptable circumstances and openly belittled in Yerevan’s Yerablur cemetery? As if it wasn’t enough, administrative proceedings were initiated against these parents, dragging them through court processes without any accountability for the police involved. It is clear that the arrests have only exacerbated the rise of hate speech and insults, deepening the division among people.

Do you not see what is happening? What absolute insults are being directed at the heroic parents who have given the most dear thing for their homeland, and how the memory of fallen soldiers is being dishonored through both real and fictitious narratives? To what extent are the fundamental guarantees of the state’s stability and moral values being devalued?

The government is primarily responsible for the current state of affairs in the country. Instruct your members and supporters to immediately cease the escalating wave of insults and hate speech, and stop pouring oil on the fire. A criminal case has been initiated—let the proceedings unfold and let the legal classification of the actions clarify circumstances. Why are you aggravating the tension even more?

With this statement, I do not specifically address any other questions related to this issue.”