KP member targets Artsakhis; MP comments

Gagik Melkonyan, an MP from the Civil Contract party, told 24news.am news agency: “Let the people of Artsakh not interfere in the affairs of our country; let them behave like guests, not wishing to become hosts”.

Lilit Galstyan, an MP from the Armenia Alliance, responded to this statement targeting the people of Artsakh and spreading hate speech.

“This behavior is more than targeting the people of Artsakh. They are clearly carrying out anti-Armenian actions, causing internal rifts,” Galstyan told ABC media.

The MP drew the issue to the attention of the legal system, noting that these statements should not remain hanging in the air; they should receive an appropriate response, and the guilty party should be held accountable.

ABC media has contacted the Human Rights Defender’s Office for comment. According to Artur Aslanyan, adviser to the human rights defender, HRD does not comment on the words of individual politicians.

“The use of expressions targeting individuals on various grounds, including public and political figures, by the mass media is especially expressed in the Armenian public discourse. The defender referred to this issue all the time, stressing that the targeting of people on various grounds should be excluded from public discourse and calling to refrain from using expressions promoting intolerance,” Aslanyan said.

According to Lilit Galstyan, such reaction of the Defender is not so welcome. Both the HRD and the Prosecutor’s Office have work to do in this regard.