The Rights of Conflict Victims

Words of Freedom, Portraits of Hope

DSC_0102It was words of freedom that were being spoken last night in Vanadzor’s Jazz Café, on December 14th, 2017. Beautifully wrapped into a theatre play, Eva Jašková, EVS volunteer at Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor Office, addressed the right to freedom of opinion and expression by incorporating texts of imprisoned writers Tal Al-Mallouhi (Syria), Faraj Ahmad Birqdar (Syria) and Sepideh Jodeyri (Iran) into Jack London’s renowned novel Star Rover and created an outstanding performance, raising awareness about the issue of prisoners of conscience.

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“I hope from the bottom of my heart that one day he’ll turn up”: families of missing persons are still waiting

DSC_0003“I hope from the bottom of my heart that one day he’ll turn up. I go to church and pray every day so that we at least hear from him. I often feel his presence, but I know he’s not here”, wraps up Mrs. Anahit and suggests seeing the room where Aram’s belongings are kept. Nothing has changed there: his photographic devices, drum, favorite belongings and photos are all there.

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The missing person’s mother’s right to pension will be restored: the court annulled the Defense Ministry’s decision

On April 10, 2017, the RA Administrative Court, presided by judge K. Avetisyan, announced the judgment resulted from the examination of the claim of missing person’s mother Svetlana Sargsyan and her representative T. Siradeghyan, lawyer at Yerevan Office of HCA Vanadzor, against the RA Ministry of Defense.

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Defense Ministry’s representative demands evidence to restore pension entitlement of missing person’s mother

Картинки по запросу վարչական դատարանThe RA Administrative Court completed examination of the claim filed by missing person’s mother S. Sargsyan and her representative Tatevik Siradeghyan, lawyer at Yerevan Office of HCA Vanadzor, on restoring S. Sargsyan’s entitlement to pension for persons who lost breadwinner.

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Trial proceedings on missing person’s mother Svetlana Sargsyan’s case are over

814_originalThe RA Administrative Court completed the trial proceedings on missing person’s mother Svetlana Sargsyan’s case. She demanded to restore her entitlement to pension for persons who lost breadwinner.

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Substance and grounds of the case of missing soldier’s mother were modified; the court hearing was postponed

TatevikOn December 12, 2016, the RA Administrative Court, presided by judge K. Avetisyan, resumed examination of the case Svetlana Sargsyan v. RA Military Registration and Enlistment Office and RA Defense Ministry.

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Another pre-trial court hearing to be held on the case of the missing soldier’s mother

TatevikOn November 14, 2016, the RA Administrative Court, presided by judge K. Avetisyan, resumed examination of the case Svetlana Sargsyan v. RA Military Registration and Enlistment Office and RA Defense Ministry. Note that the previous pre-trial court hearing on this case was postponed by the Court’s ruling based on the fact that the Court compelled defendant RA Military Registration and Enlistment Office to provide evidence.

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Court to receive from RA Military Registration and Enlistment Office clarifications on the case of the missing soldier’s mother

TatevikOn October 25, 2016, the RA Administrative Court, presided by judge K. Avetisyan, carried on examination of the case Svetlana Sargsyan v. RA Military Registration and Enlistment Office and RA Defense Ministry. Note that at the previous pre-trial court hearing the Court compelled the representative of the RA Defense Ministry to provide certain clarifications and the court hearing was postponed on these grounds.

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Missing persons and their families still face legal and informational uncertainty

In 1982, August 30 was for the first time declared in Latin America as the International Day of Missing Persons. Today, this day is marked not only in Latin America but also in many countries around the world. In the 3 countries of the South Caucasus, the International Day of Missing Persons was first marked simultaneously in 2004, by the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly offices in the South Caucasus in the cities below: Yerevan, Vanadzor, Stepanakert, Baku, Ganja and Tbilisi.

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RA Defense Ministry states officially that there are no Azerbaijani captives and corpses in the Republic of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh Republic

Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor Office carries on collecting data about the missing persons, prisoners of war and those who perished during the hostilities of April 2016 as well as the causes and circumstances of their death and missing.

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The Poor Are the First to Fight in Nagorno-Karabakh

In Armenia, they are called heroes; in Azerbaijan, martyrs. One lived in a stone house with a dirt floor and no roof; the other in a mud hut with a dirt floor and a tarpaulin roof.

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Azerbaijan, Armenia: Can Activists Keep Peace Alive?

For both Azerbaijani and Armenian peace activists, the resumption of fighting over breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh last week meant a severe test of their stated commitment to peaceful conflict resolution. Now, with calls for retribution running strong on both sides, many question whether the differences between the two countries can ever be bridged.

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