On August 30, the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, representatives of the Human Rights Defender’s Office participated in an event organized at the Cinema House in Yerevan at the initiative of the Pan-Armenian Association of Relatives of Missing Persons.
The event provided another opportunity to draw attention to the importance of clarifying the fate of forcibly disappeared persons, fully ensuring the right of their families to know the truth about the fate and whereabouts of their loved ones, as well as properly addressing the challenges they have faced for years.
The Human Rights Defender attaches importance to direct communication with the families of forcibly disappeared persons and to properly addressing the issues they raise, including by bringing these issues, within the framework of the Defender’s mandate, to the attention of the competent state authorities and international partners.
Particular importance is also attached to the involvement of civil society organizations established at the initiative of families.
Their experience accumulated over the years, first-hand knowledge of the needs and concerns of families, and sustained efforts make an important contribution to identifying existing challenges and developing effective mechanisms to address them.
On the occasion of the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, the Human Rights Defender reaffirmed that every family has the right to know the truth about the fate of their loved one and to expect full protection of their rights.
Clarifying the fate of forcibly disappeared persons requires continuous, consistent, and concerted efforts.
