Human Rights Defender on the Detention Case of a Mother of Three Children

On July 11, 2025, the Office of the Human Rights Defender received information regarding the detention of a mother of minor children based on a court decision, following the monitoring of social media and mass media, as well as an alert made by a lawyer to the Defender’s hotline. This was reported by the Office of the Human Rights Defender.

“We find it important to emphasize that according to the constitutional law of the Republic of Armenia on the Human Rights Defender, the Defender is not authorized to interfere in judicial proceedings or in the exercise of judges' powers in a specific case. However, issues related to the protection of the rights of citizens and children are under the direct attention of the Defender. By the order of the Defender, appropriate steps have already been taken and are being undertaken to guarantee the rights of individuals, including regarding the provision of child care,” the office stated.

On July 12, the Defender's hotline received another alert from a lawyer concerning several issues related to rights protection, which were resolved with the intervention of the Human Rights Defender.

Additionally, it was recorded during monitoring that a video featuring the child was shared by the lawyer online. It should be noted that in such sensitive situations, such actions often result in children being targeted and becoming more vulnerable. The monitoring conducted by the Human Rights Defender, as an entity overseeing the implementation of the provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, indicates that similar cases and insensitivity towards children are ongoing.

The Human Rights Defender emphasizes the protection of children's rights, including the right to protect their personal data, and the exclusion of any manifestation of behavior that targets children. Any process involving children must ensure the “best interests of the child” and adhere to the principle of “do no harm.” Strict compliance with demands concerning the accessibility of personal data to third parties, as stipulated by international and domestic legislation, must be maintained when disclosing children’s personal data or making it available to others.