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Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) Arman Tatoyan commented on the situation with local self-government bodies of Armenia, noting that the recent developments are fraught with serious threats to one of the key principles of democracy – the right to elect and be elected.

In a public post on Facebook late on Thursday, the ombudsman stated that the actions against the local government officials elected by the people set a dangerous precedent.

The public is either not provided with proper explanations or no explanations at all, he stated.

“All this is mainly covered up by "political processes" or "criminal proceedings," setting a dangerous precedent,” the ombudsman noted.

Tatoyan highlighted that the right to vote in local elections is guaranteed by Article 48 of the Armenian Constitution and the international commitments of the country.

“The right to vote is the cornerstone of democracy, and that's it,” he said.

The ombudsman’s comments came after the arrest of Mamikon Aslanyan, a former mayor of Vanadzor, whose bloc defeated Armenia’s ruling Civil Contract party in this month’s local elections, gaining 39 percent of the vote. He has been charged with abuse of power and fraud.