I Am One of the Unique Human Rights Defenders: Anahit Manasyan

I would ask you to direct those questions to Ms. Vardapetyan, as I am not authorized to respond. Human Rights Defender Anahit Manasyan stated this during a conversation with journalists when asked whether the participation of the Chief Prosecutor Anna Vardapetyan at a luncheon organized in the name of the Prime Minister's wife Anna Hakobyan would hinder impartial activities.

"This is not a matter of my assessment; there are bodies that address issues of interests. Social and official events take place in all countries, and officials often gather and participate together in social initiatives and events. This was about an official friendly lunch with guests from different countries," Manasyan said.

In response to a journalist's observation that, as the Human Rights Defender, she is associated with the ruling Civil Contract Party, Manasyan stated, "I am one of the unique Human Rights Defenders who is not engaged in office work, and most of my day is not spent in meetings with officials; instead, it is spent interacting with citizens. There is hardly a week when I am not in some rural community or care institutions. I am not only the author of social initiatives but also a participant, and I carry out social initiatives personally with people with disabilities," she noted.

It is worth reminding that Anna Hakobyan dined with guests arriving in Armenia for an international conference titled "Accessibility of Services for Persons with Disabilities / Experience Exchange." She was accompanied by Chief Prosecutor Anna Vardapetyan and Human Rights Defender Anahit Manasyan, as well as Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Narek Mkrtchyan.