Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan on Wednesday, January 5 released a statement on serious threats to the rights and security of Armenia's population throughout 2021.

Tatoyan, in particular, mentioned top officials who claimed that "Azerbaijani servicemen deployed near our villages and on the roads are in the territory of Azerbaijan and that Armenia can do nothing about it."

According to him, the statements of said officials have legitimized the criminal actions of Azerbaijan against the population of Armenia and created new obstacles that will need to be overcome in the long run.

"These high-ranking officials have made such statements [at least] in order to avoid or alleviate internal political grievances against themselves. In other words, these are classic examples of how the country's security and human rights can be harmed for political interests," Tatoyan wrote.

The Ombudsman reminded that Azerbaijani soldiers have been carrying out atrocities against Armenians, adding, however, that the state has an obligation to protect people and that officials have no right to harm that process.