Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor

HCA Vanadzor received an alarm from Nur-Sultan, capital city of Kazakhstan. As E.S. informed, in February he had brought tickets to return to Armenia on May 2 and stay there forever. He had closed  his big gold jewelry workshop, packed the majority of his belongings and sent it to Armenia. The apartment rental term was expiring and they would not give money to rent the apartment any further. They were in an inextricable situation. 

The aircompany informed about the cancellation of the flight on March 20. S. says that there are many others like him, who are either RA citizens or Armenians, who are citizens of Kazakhstan and whose children are RA citizens, and they want to return, all the jobs were closed, they have sold or sent their belongings and now they cannot return. 

They applied to the embassy, but in vain.

He did not manage to return by the only flight organized on May 5, since, first of all, ticket prices were incomprehensible and different, and besides, coronavirus test result was an obligatory condition to be able to enter the airport. He was informed about it late and did not manage to get on that flight.

“I applied to the embassy, but they are inactive”, says E.S., frustrated, “The embassy does not work. We also applied to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and they give a standard answer: apply to the Embassy”.

They cannot wait until July for the flights to recommence, since they are unemployed and their apartment rental term expires at the end of May.

Armenians in different cities of Kazakhstan are ready to centralize in one city so that the flight be organized there and they be able to return to Armenia.

“On Facebook, I sent messages to Nikol Pashinyan, Alen Simonyan, Edmon Marukyan, but none of them has answered me”.

E.S. asked HCA Vanadzor to raise this issue and expects attention from the RA Government.