Arman Tatoyan, Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) of Armenia, made a statement today. We present it below.

"The atmosphere in the country is tense. 24-hour monitoring of social networks and other publications shows evident rise in hate speech and violence, including calls for armed resolution of issues. This is strictly impermissible, since it further strains the situation.

24-hour analyses show that violence and intolerance campaigns are carried out through comments and posts under media publications and reports. Additionally, there are also frequent incidents of violence. What is particularly disturbing is that there are comments to social media publications describing the actions of the Police which contain calls for taking violent action against police officers and in separate cases for depriving them of life.

In the existing situation, blockade of vehicles of persons responsible for performing the most important public functions is also unacceptable.

Alerts related to child rights violations have increased significantly. It is required to ensure the strong protection and security of children, following the principle of the best interests of the child.

This situation is fraught with a threat of serious human rights violations, as well as a risk of obstacles for preventing these violations.

In the current circumstances, it is our duty to exert every effort for the peaceful settlement of the situation. Therefore, I call all actors of the process to show tolerance and responsible attitude, to refrain from activities straining the situation and creating risks for incidents of violence.

All calls and urges for the peaceful settlement of the situation are welcomed."