On May 19, Anna Vardapetyan, Prosecutor General of the Republic of Armenia accepted the students from the “Article 3” Human Rights School.
During the meeting, the problems of human rights protection in boarding schools, care centers and other similar institutions, the influence of the Prosecutor's Office on that context, the work carried out by the Prosecutor's Office in the field of protection of state and community interests, the challenges in combating the criminal subculture, the specifics for confiscation of property of illegal origin were discussed during the meeting, as well as the steps aimed at punishing and preventing hate speech.
Gayane Abrahamyan, the President of the organization and Anushik Mkrtchyan, the Coordinator of the school were present at the meeting.
Anna Vardapetyan welcomed the students and expressed her gratitude for initiating the meeting.
The Prosecutor General introduced the authority of the Prosecutor's Office in the context of human rights protection, emphasizing that at first sight it seems that Prosecutor's Office limits the rights of a group, but on the other hand, it protects the rights of another group - the victims.
“The Prosecutor's Office has a conscious attitude towards persons with special needs. I pay unexpected visits to boarding schools and care centers during my working visits to regions. This is not only my attitude as the Prosecutor General of the republic, but also as a citizen of the Republic of Armenia. I am sure that the Prosecutor's Office is the “voice” of those whose real voice is heard very low in society due to their vulnerable status and difficult life conditions. When it comes to boarding schools and care centers, the amount of damage caused is not important; embezzlement of even one AMD is punishable for the Prosecutor's Office”, - Anna Vardapetyan mentioned.
Touching upon the activity carried out in the field of protection of state and community interests, the Prosecutor General mentioned that in parallel with the criminal proceedings regarding the abuse of official authorities, the Prosecutor’s Office files a lawsuit to the Court with a request of returning the property to the State (community).
Anna Vardapetyan mentioned two directions of combating the criminal subculture: strict criminal assessment of the committed act, its condemnation and work aimed at changing the value system of the society members.
In the context of exclusion of hate speech and calls for violence, the Prosecutor General of the republic emphasized the importance of the tolerance. “Tolerance is one of the greatest achievements of mankind. It is due to tolerance that we live in a society where rights exist today. When violence is countered with violence, third violence is produced which will be more repressive. The only effective countermeasure to violence is the inevitable and prompt punishment prescribed by law. In our daily speech, in everyday life and on social platforms we should be polite and tolerant. We can disagree with the interlocutor, debate, but not offend each other”, - Anna Vardapetyan mentioned.
