The Armenian human rights defender Armen Harutyunyan has officially applied to the chief of the National security services Gorik Hakobyan and asked him to provide security for him and his family members. “I am asking to protect my family and me as soon as possible, escort my car, provide five officers of the authorized body and two cars to serve for may family,” writes the ombudsman’s letter and reminds that according to the law the human rights defender should be under the protection of the state. In consideration of the fact that during the two years of his office the ombudsman has not applied to the security bodies to provide security for him we asked him whether there have been any concrete threats to his family. “No, I have no reasons to worry and there have been no threats to my family and me. Simply I think that I should do that,” said A. Harutyunyan. It is natural that he doesn’t want to publish any information even if there have been such threats because it is in his interests to keep such information in secret. On the other hand, the reason may be his announcements after the events of March 1 and the demands of the European institutions to include him in the groups in charge of examining the events of March 1. It is not by chance that he asks to provide security for him “as soon as possible.”
