All political forces should exclude discriminatory, hate-filled, violence-promoting and otherwise unlawful rhetoric from their political discourse, Armenia’s Human Rights Defender Anahit Manasyan said while presenting the 2025 annual report in the National Assembly.
The ombudswoman stressed that freedom of speech in Armenia is sometimes perceived as an unlimited right, resulting in the spread of rhetoric that incites hatred, discrimination and violence. Anahit Manasyan emphasized that freedom of expression has clear boundaries and that everyone plays a key role in fostering a culture of responsibility in society.
At the same time, the defender described as troubling the inconsistent application of accountability mechanisms, particularly criminal liability, in cases involving violations of freedom of speech boundaries. She noted that differentiated approaches have often created the impression of arbitrariness. Anahit Manasyan said it is important to establish a unified practice for applying criminal responsibility and to use such measures only in cases involving proportionate public danger.
The defender also considered problematic the fact that such forms of rhetoric, which constitute violations of codes of conduct, have rarely resulted in disciplinary measures. In the context of the election campaign period in particular, Anahit Manasyan called on all political forces to avoid discriminatory speech, hate speech, calls for violence and other rhetoric that violates the limits of freedom of expression.
The election campaign that began on May 8 will continue until June 5. June 6 will be observed as a day of silence, while elections will take place on June 7.
