Armen Seyranyan was forcibly displaced from Artsakh after September 19, 2023. As part of Iravaban.net‘s series “Legal Issues of Artsakh Armenians in Armenia,” he recounted the extremely difficult journey they endured. There was hunger, and they barely made it by dividing a single piece of bread into several parts.
“They stopped us at the checkpoint, checked us, and let us through. Now we’re living in a rented place, but there are other people renting with us too. It’s two rooms, but it’s small for 5 people,” he said.
Our interviewee notes that they have received very little food aid provided by local authorities, and there’s also a lack of household items. He has just started working: “They gave us bedding once. They haven’t helped with electronics. We still need all of that.”
When asked about legal issues they’ve faced, Mr. Armen said that his child was supposed to go to a camp abroad. When they started organizing the trip and had already received the visa, they repeatedly inquired with state institutions about what documents were needed for departure, specifically whether they needed to present the refugee status certificate along with the passport. They were told it wasn’t necessary.
“They said it wasn’t needed, just the passport was enough. When the child was about to leave, they stopped him, saying the refugee status certificate was absolutely necessary. Well, his friends left, and he was devastated. We were left with just our expenses,” he noted.
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This material was prepared with the financial support of the European Union. The content is the responsibility of the “Armenian Lawyers’ Association” NGO and does not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
For more details, see the video.