Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor

Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor is a non-governmental human rights organization that unites individuals who value democracy, tolerance, pluralism and principles of human rights supremacy.   

The Organization was founded in 1998 as a HCA Armenian Committee branch and has operated as a separate organization since 2001. The headquarters of the Organization is located in Vanadzor and it has a representative office in Yerevan. 

HCA Vanadzor provides free legal support to around 1000 citizens on the whole RA territory yearly, conducts strategic litigation within this framework, conducts monitoring in closed and semi-closed institutions, as well as  state structures, local self-government bodies and electoral processes. The Organization analyzes legal acts and presents legislative recommendations, implements peacebuilding projects and provides international structures with information regarding the fulfillment of international obligations undertaken by the Republic of Armenia. 

One of the Organization’s directions is capacity building and awareness raising, in the frame of which trainings and discussions are held for representatives of target spheres (servicemen; conscripts and their families; war prisoners; missing persons; conflict-affected persons and their families; persons with mental and intellectual disability and their families; convicts, detainees and their families; drug users and their families; witnesses, victims, suspects, defendants  involved in criminal cases and their families; religious minorities; observers; civil and political activists; young people).   

Since 2013, HCA Vanadzor has been implementing “Legal Clinic” project, in the framework of which more than 80 young lawyers have been trained.  

Representatives of the Organization are involved in various public groups, in the frame of which they participate in the formation of the agenda  and decision-making on human rights, as well as speak up about the violations of target group representatives’ rights. 

If Your rights have been violated, call free hotline at phone numbers of the Feedback section or leave a message in the Feedback section. 

• Apply to HCA Vanadzor Peacebuilding Department to get a consultation on the rights of persons subject to military enlistment, conscripts and servicemen. 

• Apply to HCA Vanadzor Social and Health Service Monitoring Specialists to get a consultation on the rights of drug users, persons with mental health and intellectual problems, old persons, children. 

• To get a consultation on all other cases, apply to HCA Vanadzor Legal Department. 

• Apply to the Public Relations Specialist of the Organization with matters regarding publications on the Organization website and social platform pages.