One of the most important directions of the Defender’s work is ensuring that state and local self-governing bodies properly respond to citizens' applications and raised issues. This direction of work also includes providing assistance when responding to journalistic inquiries. This crucial direction is aimed at continuously strengthening the relations between the state and citizens, and realizing the citizens’ right to receive information with the help of journalists.
The Human Rights Defender’s Office runs separate statistics on written and oral complaints with regard to freedom of information in order to submit recommendations if needed. This direction of work is already under the primary attention of the Defender.
In particular, if in 2016 38 complaints were received on not responding to citizens’ applications, in 2017 – 46, then in 2019 the number of complaints has been increased more than two times, reaching 109.
If in 2016 most of the complaints were against the Ministry of Defense, the Government Office and Investigative Committee, then in 2017 – against the Police, Prosecutor’s Office, Investigative Committee, Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Healthcare.
From January to May 2018 the most of 45 complaints were against the Police, Ministry of Defense, National Archives of Armenia, Government Office. From June to December of the same year the main part of 64 complaints were against the Ministry of Healthcare, Yerevan Municipality, Police, Ministry of Justice, including Penitentiary Service.