Armen Harutyunyan
Encyclopedia
Armen Harutyunyan is the former ombudsman
of Armenia and the current Regional Representative of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
in Central Asia. He took office in February 2011.
Harutyunyan was born in 1964 in Yerevan. He holds law degrees from Yerevan State University, the Institute of State and Law of the Academy of USSR and the Academy of Public Administration of the Russian Federation.
In 1989-2002 he lectured in law at Yerevan State University; from 1997 he was legal advisor at the Constitutional Court, and in the constitutional reform of 2005 he was a representative of former President Robert Kocharian
. In 2002-06 he was rector of the Public Administration Academy.
. He was the first elected holder of the post in accordance with 83.1 article of Constitution, succeeding Larisa Alaverdyan who had been appointed to the office by presidential decree in 2004.
In an extensive report in April 2008, Harutyunyan cast doubt on the credibility of the official (government) theory on the use of lethal force against thousands of supporters of opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosian who barricaded themselves outside the Yerevan mayor’s office hours after the break-up of their 10-day sit-in
in the city’s Liberty Square on March 1.
On July 7, 2008, Harutyunyan asked the National Security Service (NSS) to assign armed bodyguards to him and members of his family. He was succeeded as ombudsman by Karen Andreasyan, who was elected by the National Assembly in March 2011.
Ombudsman
An ombudsman is a person who acts as a trusted intermediary between an organization and some internal or external constituency while representing not only but mostly the broad scope of constituent interests...
of Armenia and the current Regional Representative of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights is a United Nations agency that works to promote and protect the human rights that are guaranteed under international law and stipulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948...
in Central Asia. He took office in February 2011.
Harutyunyan was born in 1964 in Yerevan. He holds law degrees from Yerevan State University, the Institute of State and Law of the Academy of USSR and the Academy of Public Administration of the Russian Federation.
In 1989-2002 he lectured in law at Yerevan State University; from 1997 he was legal advisor at the Constitutional Court, and in the constitutional reform of 2005 he was a representative of former President Robert Kocharian
Robert Kocharian
Robert Kocharyan was the second President of Armenia, serving from 1998 till 2008. He was previously President of Nagorno-Karabakh from 1994 to 1997 and Prime Minister of Armenia from 1997 to 1998.-Biography:...
. In 2002-06 he was rector of the Public Administration Academy.
Ombudsman
On 17 February 2006, Harutyunyan was elected for a six-year term as the Human Rights Defender (ombudsman) of Armenia, with more than 3/5 of the votes of deputies in the National AssemblyNational Assembly of Armenia
The Azgayin Zhoghov of Armenia is the official name of the legislative branch of the government of Armenia.-History:Until the promulgation of the Hatt-i Sharif of 1839, the patriarch and his clients, within limits, possessed authority over Armenian people in the Ottoman Empire...
. He was the first elected holder of the post in accordance with 83.1 article of Constitution, succeeding Larisa Alaverdyan who had been appointed to the office by presidential decree in 2004.
In an extensive report in April 2008, Harutyunyan cast doubt on the credibility of the official (government) theory on the use of lethal force against thousands of supporters of opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosian who barricaded themselves outside the Yerevan mayor’s office hours after the break-up of their 10-day sit-in
2008 Armenian presidential election protests
The 2008 Armenian presidential election protests were a series of mass protests held in Armenia in the wake of the Armenian presidential election of 19 February 2008...
in the city’s Liberty Square on March 1.
On July 7, 2008, Harutyunyan asked the National Security Service (NSS) to assign armed bodyguards to him and members of his family. He was succeeded as ombudsman by Karen Andreasyan, who was elected by the National Assembly in March 2011.