In March 2024, 63-year-old Irina Avagyan, who had settled in Meghradzor following forced displacement from Artsakh, found herself in a particularly vulnerable situation. Despite years of work experience and a properly maintained work record book, she faced unfair obstacles while trying to obtain her legal right to a pension.
The problem was further complicated by the fact that Mrs. Irina, like many other forcibly displaced persons from Artsakh, was already in difficult socio-economic conditions. She had lost not only her home but also the living environment she had built over years. The delay in pension allocation was further deepening her vulnerable state.
This situation threatened to have serious consequences on Mrs. Irina’s quality of life. Without a pension, she was deprived of a stable source of income, which was especially difficult given her status as a forcibly displaced person from Artsakh. Each passing day meant a lack of means of subsistence.
It was at this moment that Mrs. Irina approached the Armenian Lawyers Association’s (ALA) newly created armrights.am platform. ALA experts, after carefully examining the case, discovered that administrative bodies had violated legally established deadlines and ignored the presumption of validity of information included in the work record book.
Thanks to ALA’s intervention, the situation changed dramatically. The organization’s lawyers, based on judicial practice and citing relevant legal norms, managed to achieve the restoration of justice. As a result, Mrs. Irina was not only granted a pension but also received a decision to pay all unpaid amounts from the first day of her pension eligibility.
This story is a vivid example of how professional legal support can restore violated rights and help the most vulnerable groups. It also shows ALA’s important role in protecting the rights of forcibly displaced persons from Artsakh. Each such successful case not only helps a specific person but also creates an important precedent for others. It also demonstrates the effectiveness of the armrights.am platform.
Mrs. Irina’s story also highlights the systemic issues often faced by forcibly displaced persons from Artsakh, and the fact that continuous work is needed to improve mechanisms for protecting their rights. ALA, in turn, is ready to continue its mission of helping every person who finds themselves in such a situation.