New Ombudsman says he needs time (video)
Armenia’s new Ombudsman Arman Tatoyan who was elected by a secret ballot yesterday, today showed up at his new workplace in a high mood. Answering a question by A1plus.am about his priorities, Mr Tatoyan said he had 'much work to do.' The fourth Ombudsman of the country was accompanied by Hermine Naghdalyan, Vice-Speaker of the Armenian National Assembly, and Hovhannes Sahakyan, Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs, who came to introduce the new human rights defender to the staff of the Ombudsman’s Office. “I think it is not accidental, I would say, it is symbolic that the new Ombudsman is assuming his office these days when Armenia is entering a new, a more responsible stage,” Hermine Naghdalyan said. Then she praised Arman Tatoyan saying he has a high level of professionalism in the sphere of human rights protection. In his turn, Hovhannes Sahakyan stressed that the 96 percent of votes that Tatoyan received yesterday, suggests pretty serious confidence in him. Speaking to journalists, the new Ombudsman said he had not visited opposition activist Gevorg Safaryan who was arrested on New Year’s Eve and added that he needed to get acquainted with the case material before visiting the jailed activist. Arman Tatoyan did not even try to find out why his predecessor [Karen Andreasyan] handed in his resignation. The Ombudsman’s post was vacant after the resignation of Karen Andreasyan last month. The latter did not give clear reasons for the move. Tatoyan, 34, was elected as Armenia's new Ombudsman on February 23. He was backed by 96 out of the 131 members of parliament. Seven lawmakers voted against him.
