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Armenia’s Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) Arman Tatoyan has reacted to the photo of a young girl posted by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Facebook as part of his campaign to show violations of the anti-coronavirus rules across the country. The photo drew offensive comments and criticism before being removed by the premier.

"Any human rights issue is of direct concern to me, no matter whether I respond to it publicly or not.

I ask all social media users not to share the photo of the girl, regardless of whether her face is closed or not. Considering the specifics of the case, if you have shared it, please remove the photo and the images containing insulting comments.

As the prime minister has removed the photo from his page and made a clarifying note, I don't see the need to address that issue anymore.

When making publications, public figures should always keep in mind that no matter how legitimate the purpose is, it can violate the rights of a particular person,” Tatoyan said on Facebook.