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On November 11, 2009 Armen Harutyunyan, the Human Rights Defender, had a meeting in the office of HCA Vanadzor.

The meeting was held with the NGO representatives and media in Vanadzor. The goal was to get familiar with the current problems in the region and to give them solutions.

The NGO representatives in Vanadzor presented a number of violations and expressed their concern in spite of the fact that such problems are characteristic of the whole country.

Vanadzor residents are concerned about not only violations related to construction in the city but also human rights violations by the law enforcement bodies, which were presented by human rights defender Artur Sakunts. He is also concerned about violations of drug users’ rights. They do not apply to the narcological center as after that they are always in the focus of the law enforcement bodies’ attention. If drug use is not a crime any more the same can’t be said about possession of drugs.

Another concern was related to call-up. In Lori region, according to young people half of them are ill and are not fit for military service.

The representative of the NGO “Voske Mijin” was worried about the violations of the rights of employees in the clothes factory of Vanadzor.

Another concern was related to children’s rights, especially in special institutions.

At the end of the meeting, the Human Rights Defender promised to study the issues raised and give solutions. The employees of the Human rights Defender’s office will have meetings with the regional and local authorities, law enforcement bodies to discuss the revealed problems.