Armenian Ombudsman send letter to Police Chief, expresses concerns about smoking child
Ombudsman Karen Andreasyan has addressed a letter to the Chief of Armenian Police Vladimir Gasparyan, expressing his concerns about the fate of a child who is smoking cigarette in a video. “A video appeared on the Internet recently in which a man offers a cigarette to a one-and-a-half-year-old boy who is probably his son. Judging by the behaviour of the people in the video, this is not the first time the boy has been offered a cigarette: not only does he master the skills of holding a cigarette but also smokes like a man. Under the Family Code of the Republic of Armenia, parents have the primary responsibility for the upbringing and development of their children. Parents are obliged to take care of their children's health, physical, mental, spiritual and moral development,” he said. Ombudsman Karen Andreasyan urged the police chief to take steps to identify the people in the video. After that, together with government agencies the Ombudsman will work to ensure the protection of the child.
