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For Maral Najarian, moving to Armenia was supposed to be a dream come true.
The 49-year-old Lebanese-Armenian moved last August from economically shattered Lebanon, hoping to find a better future and financial stability in a place she felt an attachment to.
But on arrival to Yerevan, Armenian authorities encouraged her to sign up to a settlement programme in the disputed area of Nagorno-Karabakh, which soon after she set up home there became embroiled in a ferocious six-week conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Both sides agreed to a Russian-brokered ceasefire on 10 November – but that same day, Najarian and family friend Viken Euljekian went missing on their way out of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Three months later, her siblings both in Beirut and Yerevan suspect she’s in an Azerbaijani prison and fear for her life – as they accuse authorities both in Lebanon and Armenia of not doing enough to help get her released.
Disclaimer: This article was contributed and translated into English by Aram Torosian. While we strive for quality, the views and accuracy of the content remain the responsibility of the contributor. Please verify all facts independently before reposting or citing.
Direct link to this article: https://www.armenianclub.com/2021/02/10/lebanese-armenian-family-searches-for-woman-who-disappeared-in-nagorno-karabakh/