A great idealist wrote that people are born with equal rights. Then thousands of people cynically and sagaciously criticized it. Some diligently tried to make it real. It’s a paradox, but both the second ones - with their determined belief, and those who were unsparingly criticizing contributed that the idea, even slowly, but started to get formed in the minds of people and nations. As a lawyer, I believe that people’s equality before the law is the most important principal, because I know that it’s the basis of jurisprudence. As a practical person, I also know that this is one of the most difficultly implemented norms. As a realist, I have no doubt that on a way of implementing this mission people more often become targets for criticism than win admiration. But as an optimist I believe that “the drop taps the stone”. And finally as a humanist, I completely agree with some other idealist who said: “No one forces you to change the world and make it better, but no one freed you from participating in that.” In my practice I will follow the next principle – the dominant is not the deed as a result, but the people standing behind it, because the sum of separate people’s victory is more than one victory divided between all. I am grateful to all those who were not indifferent to my election as a Human Rights Defender. Also to those who by their negative attitude gave me a chance to once again analyze my past actions and make conclusions for the future. I am grateful to those who by their positive attitude strengthened my belief in me and an aspiration to be more productive in this post. Karen Andreasyan

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A great idealist wrote that people are born with equal rights. Then thousands of people cynically and sagaciously criticized it. Some diligently tried to make it real. It’s a paradox, but both the second ones - with their determined belief, and those who were unsparingly criticizing contributed that the idea, even slowly, but started to get formed in the minds of people and nations.

As a lawyer, I believe that people’s equality before the law is the most important principal, because I know that it’s the basis of jurisprudence. As a practical person, I also know that this is one of the most difficultly implemented norms. As a realist, I have no doubt that on a way of implementing this mission people more often become targets for criticism than win admiration.

But as an optimist I believe that “the drop taps the stone”.

And finally as a humanist, I completely agree with some other idealist who said: “No one forces you to change the world and make it better, but no one freed you from participating in that.”

In my practice I will follow the next principle – the dominant is not the deed as a result, but the people standing behind it, because the sum of separate people’s victory is more than one victory divided between all.

I am grateful to all those who were not indifferent to my election as a Human Rights Defender. Also to those who by their negative attitude gave me a chance to once again analyze my past actions and make conclusions for the future. I am grateful to those who by their positive attitude strengthened my belief in me and an aspiration to be more productive in this post.

Karen Andreasyan

ANDREASYAN Karen; Doctor of Law, Member of Chamber of Advocates of Armenia (since 2006); was born in 1977.

From 1994 to 2002 Andreasyan studied and became specialized and certified at the following range of institutions: took graduate and post graduate course (PhD in Law) at the Law Department, Yerevan State University (1994-1999); University of California, Berkeley, US (1999); Canadian Human Rights Foundation, Montreal, Canada (2001); at Center for Social-Legal Studies, Oxford University, UK (2003); European Journalism Center based in the Netherlands.

In the period of 1997 – 2000 he had been employed by several state agencies; among them are: Yerevan Mayor’s Office, Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia, the RA Court of First Instance; he also lectured on Human Rights and Administrative Law at Secondary school N120 and at the RA Police Academy as well.

From 2001 to 2007 he lectured at Law Department in Yerevan State University.
Simultaneously, over the period of 2001 – 2003 he had been working in several non-governmental organizations, among them are: Free Legal Aid Center of Bar Association of Republic of Armenia (BARA) as Director; Civil Education Project international NGO (CEP), as a Program Coordinator, “Internews” International NGO, as Legal Consultant. During the period mentioned, Andreasyan also lectured on Human Rights in Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Karabakh at seminars held for journalists.

In 2003 Andreasyan was Senior Fellow at Center for Socio-Legal Studies, Oxford University, UK.

During 2003 and 2004 he was employed as Consultant and International Expert, by “Article 19” International NGO, London, UK; “Open Society Justice Initiative” International, Budapest, Hungary; Access to Information Programme (AIP), Bulgaria.

From 2005 to 2008 he was a Staff Attorney at American Bar Association (CEELI), after he advanced to Senior Staff Attorney, later on he was appointed as Deputy Director. Over the same period he also held the position of the Adviser to the President of the RA Constitutional Court.

From 2008 to 2011 Andreasyan held the position of the Director of “Defense” Law Firm.

Andreasyan Karen began his broadcasting career since 2007 and held a number of TV and public projects up to 2010. Together with European Journalism Center he organized Media Law and investigative journalism competition for university students specialized in Journalism and Law. He also anchored Yerkri teman (“Country's Theme”) at YerkirMedia-TV, Irakanum (“In Fact”) at Armenia-TV.
Andreasyan Karen is author of over 20 scholarly articles and books published, such as “Reflection of the Freedom of Expression provisions of the European Convention of Human Rights in Armenian Legislation” ”Problems of Jurisprudence”, ”English-Armenian Glossary of the Council of Europe Related Terms and Expressions”, “Legal Regulation of Telecommunications”, “Current Tendencies of Media Law Development in Armenia”, ”The Reform of Telecommunications” and the others are.

He is married with three children.

Karen Andreasyan assumed his responsibilities of Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia as of March 3, 2011.