ArmInfo. Even after weapons become silent, suffering continues, Mr. Thierry Ribaux, Head of the ICRC Delegation to Armenia, stated at the photo exhibition The Silent Presence, on the occasion of the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, in Armavir, Armenia.
Photographer Areg Balayan in his works conveyed the experiences and expectations of those who do not stop waiting and hope for the return of their loved ones. 19 works represent the suffering of 18 families who never stop waiting and hoping.
"This day has been celebrated around the world for decades. It is a reminder of loss, pain and suffering. That suffering continues even when weapons fall silent. For the families of the missing, the day of the victims of the forcibly disappeared every day, and not just August 30. Each photo here tells about a specific family, where every day, and not just on August 30, they ask the question - where is my father, where is my husband, where is my son, where is my brother or sister?" Mr Ribaux said at the opening of the exhibition.
He added that families have a vital need and the right to know about the fate of a relative, and the duty of the authorities to help families in this matter. "Issues related to clarifying the fate of the missing reach the peak of cynicism when there are attempts to politicize it," the head of the ICRC delegation stressed.
In turn, the Armenian Red Cross Society noted that August 30 is another opportunity to draw society's attention to the problems of the families of the missing, to support them in their endless worries and expectations.
Zara Amatuni, Communication and Prevention Program Manager, ICRC Armenia office said that the ICRC addresses the issue of missing persons, keeps families at the center of attention, and offers technical assistance to the relevant authorities. She added that we are talking about many years of work, since there are missing persons both from the 1990s and as a result of the escalation of the conflict in 2020. "Last year, our Organization conducted a needs assessment of the families of the missing in 2020. This allowed us to understand the problems of families, and laid the foundation for the implementation of the Facilitate the Needs program from the end of last year," Amatuni emphasized, adding that a similar program previously implemented for families of missing persons in the 1990s.
"Different types of work are outlined, covering various areas - psychological, social, economic, legal, etc. The program was launched in Armavir, and it was the families of the missing from Armavir who took the initiative to organize a public event on the day of the missing, to present our expectations of the public.Together with colleagues from the Armenian Red Cross Society, based on the idea of families, we initiated an exhibition.The author of the photographs is Areg Balayan.This is an attempt through photographs to visually convey the experiences and suffering of families during these three years," Amatuni added.
In response to ArmInfo's clarification on how many people are considered missing as a result of the 44-day war, Amatuni noted that according to the latest ICRC data collected on the basis of family applications, we are talking about 298 missing in 2020-22, as a result of the aggravation of the conflict.
"These are the data registered in Armenia. In general, most of the missing persons are from Armenia. In total, from the 1990s to the present day, there are about 700 such people," the ICRC representative added, noting that they are compiling a questionnaire for each missing person, in which presents both detailed data about the person and DNA samples of his loved ones.
"The ICRC is working closely with the newly established commission on hostages and missing persons. We are also working to prevent future enforced disappearances. For example, we are talking about participating in medical examinations, sharing experience, building capacity. trying to identify gaps and offer our services to fill them, in order to stop or minimize enforced disappearances, if such a situation occurs, and also to facilitate the identification of bodies," Ms Amatuni said. To clarify whether the ICRC has data on the number of Armenian prisoners of war and civilians held in Baku, Amatuni recalled that the Organization does not publish any information on the number of prisoners, and can only confirm the process associated with these persons, establishing a connection with families. "It's a sequential process"