During the visit to the Syunik region in May 2025, some of the issues addressed to the RA Human Rights Defender have been resolved.

20-07-2026 11:16 Armenia Press release

The Human Rights Defender Anahit Manasyan led a working group that visited the communities of Kapan, Meghri, and Tegh in the Syunik region in May 2025, including the villages of Shikahogh, Srashen, and Tsav in the Kapan community, Alvank and Shvanidzor in the Meghri community, as well as the border settlements of Khndzoresk and Khuznavar in the Tegh community. The visit was conducted in collaboration with the UN Resident Coordinator in Armenia, Françoise Jacob.

During the visit, residents raised issues regarding access to drinking and irrigation water, employment opportunities, security, property rights, difficulties in engaging in agriculture and animal husbandry, medical assistance and services, the absence of public transport, as well as a number of other concerns.

The recorded issues were summarized at the Human Rights Defender's office and addressed to the relevant state authorities.

Further follow-up work has been carried out regarding their progress.

As a result of effective cooperation between the Defender's office and the relevant state authorities, some of the raised issues have been resolved.

According to the information received from the relevant state authorities, we present some of the solutions below.

• Within the framework of the Government of the Republic of Armenia's action plan for 2021-2026, the construction of a new building for the forensic medical center in the Meghri community of Syunik region has been completed.

The medical institution has been equipped with furniture and equipment that meet modern standards and is already in operation. The program includes the implementation of the modernization process of forensic medical services in the regions, including in the Meghri community of Syunik region.

• A number of works are being carried out to organize dialysis services at the Meghri Medical Center.

• To address the drinking water supply issue of the Shikahogh settlement, a relevant water use permit has been granted for drinking and household water use from the "Khoravand" spring in 2025.

• The improvement works of the drinking water supply systems in the settlements of Shikahogh, Alvank, Shvanidzor, Khuznavar, and Khndzoresk have been included in the programs to be implemented in cooperation with international partners.

The remaining issues raised by the residents of the aforementioned settlements continue to be under the direct attention of the Human Rights Defender.

Ensuring the full guarantee and unobstructed realization of the fundamental rights of residents of border settlements is one of the key directions of the Human Rights Defender's activities.

Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia

* This text was automatically translated by Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Noyan Tapan | Press release