Armenia’s Human Rights Defender, Anahit Manasyan, has said that the word “Ezidi” must never be used as an insult or as a way to humiliate, discredit or target a person.
In a public statement issued on 30 October, Manasyan warned against discriminatory language based on nationality or ethnicity. She named several ethnic designations that must not be used as insults, including “Ezidi,” “Turk,” “Russian,” “Kurd” and “nomad.”
The Human Rights Defender stressed that a person’s ethnicity or nationality can never be presented as a negative characteristic or used to attack their reputation. Such language, she said, reinforces stereotypes, intolerance and hatred towards entire peoples.
Manasyan also stated that political disagreement, criticism or public debate cannot justify discriminatory language directed at someone because of their ethnic background.
The statement called on public authorities, political figures, journalists and other participants in public debate to actively prevent and challenge this type of rhetoric.
For Ezidis in Armenia, the statement is an important public reminder that their identity is not an insult, a label or a tool to discredit someone. Ezidis are the biggest ethnic minority in Armenia and deserve to be treated as all other equal citizens of the Republic.
The statement applies to all ethnic groups in Armenia. It does not announce a new law, investigation or sanction, but it sets out a clear position from the country’s national human-rights institution: ethnic names must not be turned into slurs.
