Category: News

GENEVA, Switzerland—The Armenian Relief Society, in collaboration with the Armenian Legal Center for Justice & Human Rights, on Thursday convened an event on the sidelines of the 63rd Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council focused on refugee justice and durable, rights-based solutions for the displaced Armenian population of Artsakh with particular attention to women and children.

The ARS is an NGO with consultative status at the United Nations Economic and Social Council.

The event, “Refugee Justice for the Armenian Women and Children of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh): Advancing the Right to Return through Human Rights, Property Restitution, Cultural Heritage Preservation, and Sustainable Recovery,” was held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva,

A delegation of young Armenians from France led by ARS Central Executive Board Member and Europe representative Lisa Gilibert attended the 63rd session of the Human Rights Council and participated in ARS event.

The discussion examined the continuing human rights and humanitarian consequences of the September 2023 displacement from Nagorno-Karabakh. UNHCR reported that more than 100,000 refugees arrived in Armenia in less than a week following the escalation of hostilities. The panel considered protection during displacement, housing, land and property rights, cultural and religious heritage, accountability and justice, and the conditions necessary for voluntary, safe, dignified and collective return.

Humanitarian Experience and Rights-Based Solutions
The event opened with remarks by moderator Gaiane Khachikian of France, a member of the Armenian Relief Society, who framed the discussion around the distinction between providing humanitarian aid to displaced Armenians from Artsakh and securing lasting justice. She emphasized the impact on women and children and the need to uphold their rights, including their collective right to return.

Gassia Nigoghossian, speaking on behalf of the Armenian Relief Society, highlighted ARS humanitarian engagement with the people of Artsakh across periods of peace, armed conflict, post-war recovery, humanitarian crisis and displacement. Her remarks addressed ARS programs and assistance including the Soseh Kindergartens, Children of Fallen Heroes, Solar Artsakh, family assistance, wartime and post-war relief, and support during and after displacement.

“A new home in Armenia does not erase the rights connected to the home that was lost in Artsakh.” said Nigoghossian.

Speakers Address Rights, Justice, Prevention and Return
Armine Aleksanyan addressed “Fundamental Rights of Artsakh Armenians.” The former Deputy Foreign Minister of the Republic of Artsakh, Ms. Aleksanyan invited the audience to see the 9-month long blockade of Artsakh through the eyes of the children, mothers, families of detainees, the elderly, the disabled, and other vulnerable persons. Three years have passed since the siege of Artsakh and ensuing military invasion by Azerbaijan in September 2023, when more than 100,000 Armenians were forced to flee their homes within days. Save for their physical safety, these now displaced children, mothers, teachers, families of detainees, elderly other vulnerable persons continue to suffer from the absence of many of their other fundamental rights.

“Human rights must not remain mere principles on paper.’ said Ms. Aleksanyan, a member of the Committee for the Defense of the Fundamental Rights of the People of Artsakh. “For peace to be lasting and sustainable, it must be firmly grounded in the protection of human rights. No durable peace can be built on denied or extinguished rights.”

Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi, Argentine diplomat, former president of the ICC, ad hoc Judge of the ICJ. addressed “International Justice and Accountability: Protecting Rights After Forced Displacement.” The international judge recalled that the right to return is not merely aspirational. It is a firmly established right in international law. She emphasized how international human rights and refugee law protects the right of forcibly displaced persons to return to their country, but more particularly to their homes and lands, voluntarily, in safety, and in dignity. She then highlighted examples of how international judicial mechanisms may provide avenues for inter-state, collective, and individual claims.

“I hope today’s discussion will contribute to identifying practical measures to advance the implementation of these rights and principles.”

Elisa von Joeden-Forgey, PhD, Executive Director of the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention addressed “From Forced Displacement to Prevention: Protecting the Armenians of Artsakh and Preventing Further Atrocities.” Dr von Joeden-Forgey highlighted the early warning signs and red flags raised by the Lemkin Institute. She recalled how, in a 128-page report published as an emergency draft in early September 2023 (two weeks before the military attack on Artsakh), the Institute demonstrated the genocidal intent of the Aliev regime and the clear forewarnings of the events that would eventually unfold. Referring to the international community’s shocking silence, “one cannot help but wonder how different today’s world might be if the international community had not stayed silent.” the expert noted.
“There can be no doubt that the impunity afforded to the Aliyev regime back then (2020-2023) emboldened other countries to step up their genocidal campaigns.”

Marina Mesure, Member of the European Parliament addressed “The International Community’s Responsibility to Protect the Rights of the People of Artsakh.” The MEP from France recalled the European Parliament’s resolutions adopted throughout the unfolding events, from condemning the blockade and supporting the right of return of displaced Armenians, to the more recent resolutions calling for the release of Armenian detainees held in Baku. Mesure emphasized that the European Parliament has consistently taken a clear stance. By contrast, she argued, the actions of the EU’s executive institutions have yet to fully match the Union’s stated principles and values. Reflecting on her most recent visit to Armenia in July 2026, during which she met Armenians displaced from Artsakh, Mesure recounted the words of one refugee as she was leaving: “Do not forget us.” The MEP said this encounter further strengthened her determination to press the European Commission for answers and action.

“In a very recent response to one of my letters, the Commission reaffirmed that the right to return must be respected,” she noted. “The question now is: when will the European Commission and the European Council take action?” “We will not forget you” added the Member of the European Parliament.

Gegham Stepanyan, Human Rights Ombudsman of the Republic of Artsakh addressed “The Rights of the People of Artsakh as Displaced in Armenia and the Right to Return.” Currently based in Armenia, Stepanyan addressed the conditions in Armenia of persons displaced from Artsakh, and warned that, while emergency assistance has significantly scaled back and virtually ended, humanitarian and social needs of the displaced Artsakh Armenians remain acute. “Many families continue to struggle for adequate housing, stable employment, and social inclusion. The displacement of Artsakh Armenians did not end with their arrival in Armenia,” Stepanyan stressed. “Some 25,000 displaced Armenians have already left Armenia in a wave of secondary migration. Without meaningful support, more and more people feel they have no choice but to seek a dignified life elsewhere.”

Key Messages Emerging from the Event

1. RIGHT TO RETURN
   Ensure displaced Armenians who choose to return can do so voluntarily, safely, with dignity, and without impediment, consistent with the ICJ’s provisional measures.
2. INTERNATIONAL MONITORING
   Support sustained, independent, and meaningful international access to assess human rights conditions, property, cultural heritage, and conditions for potential return.
3. PROPERTY RESTITUTION
   Protect and document homes, land, businesses, and other property, and establish accessible mechanisms for restitution, compensation, and remedy.
4. CULTURAL HERITAGE PROTECTION
   Support independent monitoring and documentation of Armenian religious and cultural heritage, and meaningful access for relevant international bodies, including UNESCO.
5. ACCOUNTABILITY AND REMEDY
   Support credible, independent investigations of alleged violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, and effective remedies for victims.
6. WOMEN AND CHILDREN
   Ensure programs for durable solutions address education, healthcare, psychosocial well-being, housing, livelihoods, and protection needs.
7. LONG-TERM STABILITY
   Support sustainable housing, employment, education, healthcare, and community development in Armenia without treating integration as a substitute for voluntary return.
8. PRESERVATION OF IDENTITY
   Protect the ability of displaced Armenians to preserve their language, religion, cultural traditions, community institutions, and connection to their homeland.

The event’s speakers addressed the fundamental rights of displaced Artsakh Armenians, international justice and accountability, atrocity prevention, and the responsibility of the international community. Together, their interventions underscored that durable solutions must be grounded in rights, dignity, meaningful participation, and genuine choice.

The Armenian Relief Society emphasized that displaced people are rights holders. Humanitarian assistance can meet urgent needs, but it cannot alone restore homes and communities, resolve property claims, safeguard cultural and religious heritage, or provide accountability. Support for families rebuilding their lives in Armenia must preserve their rights and future options, including the right to a voluntary, safe, dignified, sustainable, and unhindered return.

“For the People, With the People” remains the ARS’s guiding principle. For the women, children, and families of Artsakh, that means ensuring they are heard in decisions about their future. Displacement may remove people from their homes, but it must never remove them from the protection of their rights.

Next Steps
Following the event, the Armenian Relief Society and the Armenian Legal Center for Justice & Human Rights will share the event’s key messages and continue advocating for the rights of displaced Armenians from Artsakh, including their collective right to return in safety and dignity. The ARS will draw on its longstanding humanitarian work with Artsakh families, while the Armenian Legal Center will bring its legal and human rights expertise to advocacy concerning property rights, cultural heritage, and accountability for violations. Together, they will press for displaced people to have a meaningful voice in decisions about their future.

The ARS emphasized that humanitarian support for displaced families must remain connected to the protection of their rights and dignity. Assistance with housing and other urgent needs can help families rebuild their lives, but displacement does not extinguish their claims to the homes, communities, and heritage they left behind.

“Justice after displacement is not achieved simply when humanitarian needs are met. It requires protecting rights, safeguarding property and heritage, addressing violations, and ensuring that displaced families can determine their own future. Displacement may remove people from their homes, but it must never remove them from the protection of their rights,” said Nyree Derderian, of the Armenian Relief Society UN Core Committee.

Mount Ararat

Efforts to alter the identity and history of the homeland are continuing, with reports indicating that the Yerevan Municipality has been instructed not to publish videos showing Mount Ararat, News.am reported on Tuesday.

Various departments reportedly have been instructed to re-edit videos that contain Mount Ararat and publicize new versions.

This has been an ongoing process for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government, which claims that the symbols that have identified our nation for centuries must be abandoned and replaced by places that are within the current borders of Armenia.

Pashinyan has said that Mount Ararat is not in Armenia and that Mount Aragats should become the symbol of the country.

Earlier this year, the authorities removed the image of Mount Ararat from the stamp placed on passports when entering and leaving Armenia.

Also, the new iteration of Armenian passports, the Khor Virap monastery is depicted from such a position that Mount Ararat is not visible.

Catholicos Karekin II is met by supporters outside the court building in Etchmiadzin on Aug. 7 (Video screen grab)

With the release last week of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s and his government’s report on the so-called “Report on the Crisis in the Church,” and the increasing push by the authorities to persecute the Armenian Church, international criticism of that effort mounted this week.

The Holy See of Etchmiadzin has repeatedly condemned the authorities’ actions as unlawful interference in the Church’s internal affairs and has called for an end to the targeting of clergy and violations of the Church’s constitutionally protected autonomy.

The Armenian government’s campaign against the church was called an “unprecedented threat” by a European lawmaker at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on Monday, while the president of the Christian Solidarity International rejected Pashinyan’s plan.

Speaking at the PACE session on Monday, Sir Edward Leigh, a British lawmaker, warned that the Armenian Apostolic Church is facing what he described as an “unprecedented threat” from Armenia’s own authorities.

“The Armenian Apostolic Church is the world’s oldest national church, and today it faces an unprecedented threat, not from a foreign invader, but from its own government,” Leigh said.

He accused Pashinyan and the Armenian authorities of erasing the boundaries between Church and state and launching an unprecedented campaign against the Church’s freedom.

“The Council of Europe, above all, should be concerned with the freedom of our churches. What we are witnessing is not simply a political disagreement. It is a calculated attack on religious autonomy,” Leigh said.

John Eibner, the president of Christian Solidarity International, a religious watchdog that has had decades of experience and service in Armenia and Artsakh, said that his group rejects Pashinyan’s report in its entirety and urged his government to stop persecuting the Armenian Apostolic Church.

“Christian Solidarity International has examined this report and rejects it in its entirety. Its authorship, its methodology and the motives behind it seriously undermine its findings. The report is also an affront to the well-established principle of Church autonomy, guaranteed by both Armenian and international law,” Eibner said in his statement published on Monday.

“CSI calls on the Government of Armenia to withdraw the report, abandon its plan to remove the Catholicos and respect the autonomy of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church. CSI also urges Armenia’s international partners—including the United States, the European Union and the Council of Europe—to remind Prime Minister Pashinyan of Armenia’s human rights obligations and to press his Government to cease interfering in the internal affairs of the Church,” Eibner added.

Below are excerpts from Eibner’s statement.

Contrary to what the report states, the Church crisis is one of the Government’s own making. The report has been published as part of a sustained, state-sponsored campaign against the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church (AAHC), a Church that has endured for more than 1,700 years and has long stood in defence of the Armenian nation.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan seeks to overthrow His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, and to bring the Church under state control, a goal he has pursued for more than a year. His plan to remove the Catholicos featured in his party’s election manifesto and is now written into his Government’s program. The report also follows the politically motivated arrests of senior clerics, spurious criminal charges against the Catholicos and six bishops, and government-backed efforts to foster splits in the Church. These and other measures violate the autonomy of the AAHC and call into question the Armenian government’s commitment to democracy and the rule of law.

The report is not the product of an independent inquiry or of any impartial or judicial process. It was written on the express instruction of the Prime Minister by his own press office. A government press office has no competence in theology or canon law, yet its authors quote the canons selectively and presume to pronounce on ecclesiastical matters. Some of the allegations are so grave that they should be examined by a proper tribunal, not aired in a political document issued by the Government as part of a discriminatory campaign. Indeed, by publishing such allegations while clerics, including the Catholicos, are facing trial, the Government also gravely prejudices their right to a fair hearing and to the presumption of innocence.

The report states that it relies on “open sources.” In practice, that means news sites, YouTube clips and Facebook posts, including the Prime Minister’s own. It offers almost no primary evidence, and many of the claims are unsubstantiated gossip, innuendo or hearsay. Many are made by clergy who have been disciplined by the Church, and several are long-standing opponents of the Catholicos. Where the Catholicos has not answered an accusation, his silence is treated as proof. What the report calls its “evidentiary basis” is weak. It has been assembled to justify a verdict reached long before the report was written, and it would not withstand scrutiny before any court or tribunal.

The report accuses the Catholicos of engaging in politics. It fails to acknowledge that he has acted in accordance with the Church’s exclusive mission, recognized in Armenia’s Constitution, in the spiritual life of the Armenian people and the preservation of their national identity. Nor does it say anything of the context in which the Church has spoken: the Government’s failures in the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War of 2020 and the ethnic cleansing of Nagorno Karabakh in 2023, the third anniversary of which falls this month. Speaking in defense of a grieving and displaced nation is not unlawful political activity. It conforms to the very role the Constitution anticipates for the Church.

Armenian law is equally clear that, although the AAHC is the national church, it is autonomous and self-governing. The State has no role in removing or replacing the Catholicos, a process that is governed wholly by the Church’s own canon law. Nor should the Government be peddling such reports to support its discriminatory campaign.