800 ARMENIANS FROM KARABAKH STILL REPORTED MISSING
ARMENPRESS
Aug 30 2006
YEREVAN, AUGUST 30, ARMENPRESS: A state commission in Nagorno-Karabakh,
set up to deal with prisoners of war, missing persons and hostages
said some 800 residents of Nagorno-Karabakh are deemed still missing
since the war with Azerbaijan in early 1990-s.
Viktor Kocharian, head of the commission, said to Armenpress that was
not the exact number as there is little information about how many
Armenians from the Shahumian region of Azerbaijan are missing. He
said members of the commission are meeting with former residents of
that region to learn if they have missing family members.
Deputy foreign minister of Nagorno-Karabakh Masis Mailian told
Armenpress no prisoners of war are held in Karabakh. He said sometimes
Azeri soldiers cross the line of contact into Armenian-controlled
territory. But he said the International Committee of Red Cross
is notified about this sort of incidents which helps to repatriate
soldiers.
A senior official of the Council of Europe, Leo Platvoet, who deals
with PoWs and missing persons and heads a PACE ad hoc committee is due
to visit Karabakh in September. The official visited already Armenia ,
Georgia and Azerbaijan and is expected to have his report prepared
early next year.
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Armenian civilians transferred under ICRC auspices
Geneva (ICRC) “On 17 August three Armenian civilians were handed over to the Armenian authorities under the auspices of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The operation took place on the road between the Azerbaijani town of Gazakh and the Armenian town of Ijevan .
The ICRC, participating as a neutral intermediary, facilitated the transfer at the request of the Azerbaijani and Armenian authorities after ICRC delegates had met the civilians and verified that they had accepted the handover of their own free will.
Since the start of its activities in connection with the Nagorny Karabakh conflict in 1992, the ICRC has helped repatriate or transfer 659 people, and the organization will support any similar operation in the future should the need arise.
http://www.icrc.org/Web/Eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/armenia-news-170806!OpenDocument
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GUIDE FOR THE FAMILIES OF MISSING PERSONS PRESENTED
SARAJEVO, June 30 (FENA) – The BiH Ministry of Human Rights and Refuges, in cooperation with the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Centre for Unrestricted Access to Information and the UNHCR office in BiH, presented the Guide for Families of Missing Persons on Friday.
Questions raised by families of missing persons and representatives of association of families of missing persons during public debates organised in April this year in Brcko, Prijedor, Sarajevo and Travnik were used as a basis for the development of the Guide.
“The BiH Ministry of Human Rights and Refuges does not have all the answers to questions concerning missing persons. This is the reason why we have prepared this guide, which explains legislation and informs the families about the places and institutions they should turn to”, Coordinator of the Task Force for the implementation of the Law on Missing Persons Saliha Duderija said.
She said that the establishing of the administrative body of the Institute for Missing Persons is currently underway. The Institute will also have a central database of missing persons, which will integrate figures of the ICRC and ICMP.
According to ICRC 31,000 requests for finding missing persons have been filed between 1995 and 2006. 13.300 persons out of this number are still considered missing.
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On June 5, the employees of HCA Vanadzor met with Leo Platvoet - reporter of the PACE Committee on Migration, Refugees and Population, dealing with issues on missing persons of Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan and Mark Neville-Secretary of Committee on Migration, Refugees and Population of the Parliamentary Assembly.
During the discussion the coordinator of HCA Vanadzor Arthur Sakunts and Pascal Bokkers International Advisor from IKV to South Caucasus presented the projects and activities carried out by HCA Vanadzor on the problems of missing persons, as well as approaches for the solution of those problems. A. Sakunts mentioned the importance of the contribution of European and national mechanisms in the solution of missing persons' issues.
The necessity of more detailed investigation of the circumstances people were missed was pointed out. It will give an opportunity for getting information on their whereabouts and destiny more effectively. Particularly, some missing persons should be looked for not in the opposite side but in our own territories.
Importance was attached to the active involvement of the Council of Europe in the protection of the rights of missing persons and their relatives of South Caucasus .
The draft law “On Information Bureau of Missing Person” worked out by HCA Vanadzor was presented which met an approval.
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To Help People in Finding Their Relatives
05 June, 2006
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Today the chairman of the National Assembly of Armenia T. Torosyan received Leo Platvoet, - Rapporteur of the PACE Committee on Migration, Refugees and Population, dealing with issues on missing persons of Armenia , Georgia and Azerbaijan . As the PR department of the National Assembly informed “Armenpress” issues concerning the report that will be drawn up by Mr. Platvoet were discussed during the meeting. T. Torosyan attached importance to the discussion of the issue from humanitarian viewpoint and keeping away from political speculations, thus helping people in finding out the destiny of their missing relative of the war and after it. Expressing his satisfaction that Leo Platvoet met representatives of Nagorno Karabakh, Mr. Torosyan suggested visiting Nagorno Karabakh and forming a working group consisting of representatives from Armenia , Azerbaijan and Karabakh, who directly working with one another will be able to help the search of missing persons. Agreeing on this, Mr. Platvoet mentioned that he foresaw to suggest in his report the parties starting cooperation on the level of organizations dealing with the issue. During the meeting, they also referred to the inter-parliamentary relations of Armenia and Azerbaijan . T. Torosyan mentioned that Armenia was ready for cooperation, which was already being implemented in different forms, such as meetings in international structures, within the framework of South Caucasus parliamentary initiative, as the establishment of favourable atmosphere for the solution of big problems with small steps was important. Mr. Torosysn mentioned that, unfortunately, Azeri press presented false information on the cruel treatment of Armenians towards missing persons, which deepens hatred, whereas the PACE formula 1416 calls to keep from preaching hatred. During the meeting other issues of bilateral importance were discussed.
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Chairman of the National Assembly of Armenia T. Torosyan suggested Rapporteur of the PACE Committee on Migration, Refugees and Population Leo Platvoet visiting Nagorno Karabakh and establishing a working group consisting of representatives from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Karabakh
Yerevan, June 5, Armenpress. The chairman of the National Assembly of Armenia T. Torosyan received Leo Platvoet, - Rapporteur of the PACE Committee on Migration, Refugees and Population, dealing with issues on missing persons of Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan . As the PR department of the National Assembly informed “Armenpress” issues concerning the report that will be drawn up by Mr. Platvoet were discussed during the meeting. T. Torosyan attached importance to the discussion of the issue from humanitarian viewpoint and keeping away from political speculations, thus helping people in finding out the destiny of their missing relative of the war and after it. Expressing his satisfaction that Leo Platvoet met representatives of Nagorno Karabakh, Mr. Torosyan suggested visiting Nagorno Karabakh and forming a working group consisting of representatives from Armenia , Azerbaijan and Karabakh, who directly working with one another will be able to help the search of missing persons. Agreeing on this, Mr. Platvoet mentioned that he foresaw to suggest in his report the parties starting cooperation on the level of organizations dealing with the issue. During the meeting, they also referred to the inter-parliamentary relations of Armenia and Azerbaijan . T. Torosyan mentioned that Armenia was ready for cooperation, which was already being implemented in different forms, such as meetings in international structures, within the framework of South Caucasus parliamentary initiative, as the establishment of favourable atmosphere for the solution of big problems with small steps was important. Mr. Torosysn mentioned that, unfortunately, Azeri press presented false information on the cruel treatment of Armenians towards missing persons, which deepens hatred, whereas the PACE formula 1416 calls to keep from preaching hatred. During the meeting other issues of bilateral importance were discussed.
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The chairman of the National Assembly of Armenia T. Torosyan received Leo Platvoet, - The PACE Rapporteur on missing persons of Armenia , Georgia and Azerbaijan.
Yerevan : 05.06.06; ARMINFO
On June 5, the chairman of the National Assembly of Armenia T. Torosyan received Leo Platvoet, - Rapporteur of the PACE Committee on Migration, Refugees and Population, dealing with issues on missing persons of Armenia , Georgia and Azerbaijan . As the PR department of the National Assembly informed “Armenpress” issues concerning the report that will be drawn up by Mr. Platvoet were discussed during the meeting. T. Torosyan attached importance to the discussion of the issue from humanitarian viewpoint and keeping away from political speculations, thus helping people in finding out the destiny of their missing relative of the war and after it. Expressing his satisfaction that Leo Platvoet met representatives of Nagorno Karabakh, Mr. Torosyan suggested visiting Nagorno Karabakh and forming a working group consisting of representatives from Armenia , Azerbaijan and Karabakh, who directly working with one another will be able to help the search of missing persons. Agreeing on this, Mr. Platvoet mentioned that he foresaw to suggest in his report the parties starting cooperation on the level of organizations dealing with the issue. During the meeting, they also referred to the inter-parliamentary relations of Armenia and Azerbaijan . T. Torosyan mentioned that Armenia was ready for cooperation, which was already being implemented in different forms, such as meetings in international structures, within the framework of South Caucasus parliamentary initiative, as the establishment of favourable atmosphere for the solution of big problems with small steps was important. Mr. Torosysn mentioned that, unfortunately, Azeri press presented false information on the cruel treatment of Armenians towards missing persons, which deepens hatred, whereas the PACE formula 1416 calls to keep from preaching hatred. During the meeting other issues of bilateral importance were discussed.
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Life imprisonment
The court on criminal and military cases of Armenia (presided by Mher Armaghanyan) sentenced Razmik Sargsyan, Musa Serobyan and Arayik Zalyan to life imprisonment. They were charged of killing two soldiers of their military unit: Roman Yeghiazaryan and Hovsep Mkrtumyan, and throwing their bodies in the canal on December 24, 2003 . We should mention that the court of first instance of Syunik region sentenced them to a 15-year imprisonment. The prosecutor of the court of Appeal Anahit Yeghiazaryan proposed life imprisonment. The defending side presented an appeal on passing a “not guilty” verdict. Yesterday we learnt that they would appeal in the palace of criminal and military cases of RA Court of Cassation.
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May 2, 2006 Zerkalo
A baby and a 109-year old Azerbaijani old man are in captivity in Armenia . It is sad, that it is only the beginning and the end of the long list of Azerbaijani captured, submitted yesterday by the State Commission (SC) on work with prisoners of war, missing persons and citizens taken hostages.
According to SC data, because of the Armenian-Azerbaijan conflict from 1988 to 2006 the number of missing persons is 6583. 1381 out of them have been released with the assistance of SC and international organizations. Also through other ways the destiny of 407 persons became known, the facts on 5 people have proved to be true that were in a captivity and were sent to other countries. Besides, by the data available in the commission, 190 bodies of people killed in captivity have been found.
Today in Armenia our 4600 citizens are in captivity. As it was mentioned above, among Azerbaijani captured there is a baby and a 109-year-old citizen. In general, prisoners of war, missing persons and hostages can be defined by the following age groups: 3278 hostages are young people aged 17-35, 318 are 35-50 years old, and 138 Azeri are 60-76 years old.
It is curious, that older persons are kept as hostages. About 40 persons are 88 years old and more. Approximately 60 persons are under 16.
As far as the date of birth of 110 people, the date of missing of 328 missing persons, as well as the dates of birth and missing of 260 people (698 persons) were not identified, it was not possible to classify them according to age.
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ICRC CHAIRMAN IN ARMENIA
[ 01:55 pm ] 07 April, 2006
www.a1plus.am/en/
Today Secretary of the Security Council attached to the RA President, Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan received the chairman of the International Committee of Red Cross Jacob Kellenberg. The ICRC special representative in Eastern Europe Isabel Baras and the head of the Armenian delegation to ICRC Ives Arnold also participated in the meeting.
Greeting the guest Serge Sargsyan underlined the importance of the activity of ICRC in Armenia mentioning that it significantly contributes to the solution of the problems in the country. Underlining the efficiency and activeness of the mutual cooperation, Jacob Kellenberg thanked the RA Government and specifically to the Defense Ministry for their support.
Referring to the work towards the finding of the soldiers missing in action, the sides stated that Armenia has always created favorable conditions for the work of the ICRC representatives and there have been no obstacles. In this connection Serge Sargsyan considered groundless the announcements of the Azeri authorities about Azeri soldiers missing in action who are kept in Armenia as hostages. He voiced hope that in future the ICRC reports will reflect the reality, that is, the fact of the absence of hostages in Armenia .
During the meeting the sides exchanged thoughts about the present stage of the settlement of the Karabakh conflict. In the context of the negotiation process the Minister considered the military announcements of the Azeri high officials and the support of international hostility extremely disturbing.
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