BackRecently, there have been situations when advocates defending people of negative reputation or negative public perception are insulted and threatened on the social media.
The Human Rights Defender’s Office states that there are evident instances of mockery, insult, hate speech and threats towards advocates on those social media platforms where the advocates publicise their viewpoint in respect of the innocence in or relation to the alleged crime attributed to their defendants. In the mentime, there is no tolerance for differing opinions, and arguments to the opposite are often degrading to human dignity, and in certain cases – even preach hatred.
The Human Rights Defender asks social media account holders to take into consideration that the performance by advocates of their professional duties is indispensable to the process of administration of justice. It is impossible to have justice without proper performance by advocates of their professional activities, which is based on rule of law.
Therefore, it is of utmost importance to instill the right culture and the perception that the advocate’s activities are aimed at securing everyone’s right to legal aid, everyone’s defence against possible illegal persecution or illegal deprivation of liberty. Presumption of lawfulness and goodwill shall be primary considerations in the treatment towards advocates. Advocates cannot be identified with their defendants.
An advocate’s public reputation is a democratic value. It is achieved through diligent work and becomes an important guarantee not only in the effective protection of the defendant’s interests, but also in the development of human rights defence activities in the country. This is one of the indicatives towards building a democratic state based on the rule of law.
The role of mass media is also crucial in this respect. Therefore, the Human Rights Defender urges all mass media to remove comments containing insult, mockery or hate speech, irrespective of whether they are posted by obviously fake or real account holders.
Source: Office of the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia
