Human Rights Defender Anahit Manasyan issued a statement saying:

“Dear compatriots,

In this period full of challenges for our motherland, I took on the mission of Human Rights Defender with great responsibility.

I will strive to use all my knowledge and skills to improve the field of human rights protection in the Republic of Armenia.

When I thought about whether I could take on this responsibility, I began to analyze the values ​​that I hold. They have accompanied me since childhood, thanks to my upbringing. I have never betrayed those principles, which are kindness, compassion for people and their fates, humanity, dignity, justice, honesty and boundless faith in knowledge.

It is important to note that the position of Human Rights Defender is not political. The process of the latter’s election and tenure cannot be like that. Consequently, all my activities and the speech I made during this time will be built with that very idea in mind.

I will strive to make the Institute of the Human Rights Defender a platform on the way to achieve public tolerance and solidarity, keeping the latter free from all possible political speculations.

My primary goal is to create an environment of respect for human dignity and rights in an atmosphere of public tolerance, bearing in mind the importance of the principle of separation and balance of powers.

I do not consider making critical statements to be the only tool I can use in my position as a human rights defender. I will give special importance to the structures of reconciliation between the public and state bodies and officials, as well as the formation of a proper atmosphere for the protection of human rights through education.

I am sure that at this difficult stage, the priority goal of all of us should be to honestly look at our problems and find solutions for them with joint efforts, in an atmosphere of mutual respect and cooperation.

I am sure that violence does not lead to any result from the point of view of the end result. At the same time, I am convinced that it is possible to win only by maintaining dignity.

And in this context, I emphasize that each of us individually, as well as we as a collective society, do everything to preserve our dignity.

That’s all; I will try to show the rest with my work.

Thank you.”