Today, on October 12, human rights defender Anahit Manasyan received Alexander Vinnikov, head of the NATO Liaison Office in Georgia, and Arkadiush Legich, head of the office’s political affairs. Welcoming the guests, Anahit Manasyan presented the cases of violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law, which were recorded during the recent aggression of Azerbaijan, as well as the forced displacement of the Armenian population from Nagorno Karabakh.
The Defender expressly referred to the policy of ethnic cleansing carried out against the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as other cases of torture, mutilation, and ill-treatment by the Azerbaijani forces prohibited by international law. The Defender also presented the results of the fact-finding work carried out by him and his staff, emphasizing the need to guarantee the rights of forcibly displaced persons continuously.
Within the framework of the meeting, Anahit Manasyan referred to the problems of human rights protection caused by the border security of the Republic of Armenia, noting that the presence of the Azerbaijani armed forces in the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia is very worrying from the point of view of the protection and guarantee of human rights. The parties discussed the importance of addressing gross violations of human rights recorded by the Defender by introducing mechanisms known to international law.
In this context, the head of the NATO liaison office emphasized the recommendations presented to the international organizations and actors involved in protecting human rights and the state within the mandate of the Defender. At the end of the meeting, the parties agreed to continue cooperation in the direction of human rights protection and promotion.
