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SYDNEY: The Armenian National Committee of Australia’s highest honour for 2022 was awarded to the former Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia and founder of the Centre for Law and Justice, Dr Arman Tatoyan at the 2022 ANC-AU Annual Gala.

Dr Tatoyan was honoured for his unflinching and exemplary commitment to supporting the rights and interests of Armenian citizens in the Republics of Armenia and Artsakh, exposing human rights violations and crimes against humanity committed by Azerbaijan, and holding the perpetrator regime accountable.

Dr Arman Tatoyan’s acceptance speech can be viewed by clicking here.



The 2022 Freedom Award recipient holds a Master of Laws from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and a PhD from Yerevan State University’s Department of Criminal Procedure and Criminalistics. He is renowned for his role as the former Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Armenia between 2016-2021 and currently serves as Director of the Centre for Law and Justices – Tatoyan Foundation.

In 2016, Dr Tatoyan was appointed as the Republic of Armenia’s Human Rights Defender and experienced the horrors of both the four-day war and the forty-four-day war. The continuation of Azerbaijan’s Turkish-backed aggression saw Dr Tatoyan risk his life daily to expose Azerbaijan’s gross violations of international law and human rights.

Dr Tatoyan was one of three honourees acknowledged at the ANC-AU Annual Gala for their support of issues important to the Armenian-Australian community. Mr Julian Leeser MP was named as the 2022 Armenian-Australian Friend of the Year recipient, and Mr Michael Rubin as the 2022 Ben Bagdikian Media Award recipient.

On the night, ANC-AU Honourary Chairperson Greg Soghomonian and ANC-AU National Board Member, Sassoon Grigorian presented the award to Dr Tatoyan.

ANC-AU Executive Director Michael Kolokossian said: “We were immensely proud to announce the 2022 Armenian National Committee of Australia Freedom Award honouree as our dear friend Dr Arman Tatoyan. He has demonstrated immense integrity, courage and dedication to exposing Azerbaijan’s genocidal policies and is extremely deserving of this honour.”

The ANC-AU Freedom Award is the organisation's highest honour presented to individuals or organisations who have exceeded in advancing issues of importance to the Armenian-Australian community.