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August 30 is the International Day of the Disappeared in commemoration to which Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly initiated the screening of a thematic film on August 30 via the support of NGO Center.  “Hope dies last” film depicts the mental state and the status of the relatives of missing persons. The film had been shot in the families of missing persons residing in different parts of Armenia, Azerbaijan and NKR. In the meantime, film producer Suzanne Kroeger presents similar stories of the families of missing persons from all conflict victim parties.

The film brings out the similarities of the issues existing in conflict victim societies and mutual concerns.

The film was touching to the point that the relatives of 3 of the parties were equally grieved and instilled with hope, in the meantime, being in a hopeless and uncertain situation. The common feature is that numerous families suffer from issues at the state level, and fates of many people remain in uncertainness. The wives of missing persons meet with challenges because they don’t know what to say to their growing children that always inquire about their fathers, when they themselves are unsure whether they are widows or not. Through personal life stories the film presents the state policy in the field of issues over missing persons.

A discussion over the film, the issues of the families of missing persons and their current situation was held after the screening of the film. A numbers of recommendations were presented by the participants and questions, such as constant disappearance of people from borderland villages regarding which state structures keep silent, were raised. It was recommended by the discussion participants to conduct preparatory and preventive training in the borderland villages in order to warn people of the danger and keep them away from it. Artur Sakunts, Chairman of Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor, noted it was necessary to endow the families of missing persons with privileges and a separate legislative status, so that efficient state measures were undertaken to ensure their social and legal protection.

“Hence, the list of missing persons regarding civil persons should also be categorized according to the circumstances of their disappearance. Since, the so-called, many national heroes, generals  and etc., they can bear direct responsibility over the issues of missing persons and POWs and it is very easy  to blame everything on the war. But will the responsibility for the disappearance of a missing person, giving of an illegal order and wrongly dealing with the situation by a General  and other issues at last be subjected to investigation or not?
We find that missing persons should have a legal status, the draft law on missing persons has been initiated aimed to resolve the issues of missing persons and their families as well as defining legal status for missing persons. We hope that the RA will adopt the law on missing persons”, mentioned Artur Sakunts.

The full version film is presented to your attention.