YEREVAN, DECEMBER 13, ARMENPRESS. The improvement of human rights in closed facilities needs permanent and consistent efforts, ARMENPRESS reports Human Rights Defender of Armenia Arman Tatoyan said in his opening remarks of the award ceremony of the journalistic contests themed “Public View of the Closed World”, “The Situation of the Human Rights in Closed Facilities" and "The Situation with the Right to Avoid Mistreatment". He added that there are structural problems in that sphere.

Referring to the issue of covering the activities of closed facilities, Tatoyan said that the less the sphere is covered, the more problems emerge.

“This is a sphere that needs joint and careful work. We highlight the joint work in this sphere with our partners – state bodies, NGOs and journalists.

The important achievements will be when the work of journalists is perceived as a support to the solution of the problems, but not as an obstacle for it. Unfortunately, we have stereotypes that the interference of journalists is seen as an obstacle”, Tatoyan said.

Head of EU Delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Piotr Świtalski noted that human rights do not stop in front of the gates of closed facilities and when people enter those closed facilities, their dignity should not be lost.

“Although sometimes they are deprived of the opportunity to fully implement their rights, we should not forget that they are human beings. No society can assess itself as free if it ignores the situation of human rights in closed facilities. I am confidence that new Armenia will have the necessary political will to think of these problems”, Świtalski said.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan