"I again sent letters to my international colleagues and a number of international organizations regarding Hovik Aghazaryan.
As a representative of the Armenian Parliament dealing with the protection of human rights, I consider it my duty to address what happened to the member of the National Assembly Hovik Aghazaryan.
Having extreme human, ideological and political contradictions with the same MP, however, I consider that separating a person's personal phone conversations and correspondence and giving the members of the political team the opportunity to get acquainted with them, from the point of view of personal data protection, is highly problematic and unacceptable.
This leak violates national legislation and a number of norms of international law.
1. Universal Declaration of Human Rights - 19482
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights - 19663
.European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms - 19504
. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (2016/679) - 2016
Articles 33 and 34 of the Constitution clearly state that everyone has the right to freedom and privacy of correspondence, telephone conversations and other forms of communication.
It is even more unacceptable that "disclosures were made" about the MP's sexual orientation on a website linked to Taron Chakhoyan, the chief of staff of the RA Prime Minister, referring to the same telephone information.
What happened to Aghazaryan proves not only that the principle of protecting his personal data was violated, but also gives the impression that a targeting campaign directed by the Government staff has started against the deputy.
I expect an appropriate response from my international partners and various organizations, because in the past, foreign ambassadors even condemned the incident in a video message with the slightest violation of rights.
Now they are kind of silent. Screenshot: Infocom.
Non-party MP Taguhi Tovmasyan, chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Human Rights Protection and Public Affairs, whose powers were illegally terminated.
