Two Influential Armenian Lawyers in the US Played a Significant Role During the War in Artsakh and Armenia: Human Rights Defender

Since the first moment of this war, which began on September 27, 2020, the co-chairs of the Armenian Rights Watch Committee, influential Armenian lawyers in the US, Karo Ghazaryan and Garnik Kherkonyan, have been with us every day and hour. This was stated by the Human Rights Defender of Armenia, Arman Tatoyan, on his Facebook page.

He noted, in particular: “Mr. Ghazaryan operates in Los Angeles, while Mr. Kherkonyan is based in Chicago. Throughout the war, they played a role of exceptional importance in protecting human rights in Artsakh and Armenia, assisting human rights defenders of Armenia and Artsakh in continuous monitoring and report preparation, documenting and communicating Azerbaijani war crimes, and establishing strong ties with influential representatives of international organizations in the US and other countries. Thanks to them, cooperation has been established with other Armenian organizations in the diaspora, serving as a bridge between the Armenian diaspora and Armenia and Artsakh.”

“Due to their high professional expertise, Mr. Ghazaryan and Mr. Kherkonyan, through the Armenian Bar Association, have conducted extensive public awareness campaigns and continue to address issues concerning military operations, the actual goals of the Azerbaijani authorities, and the war crimes and crimes against humanity they have committed in Artsakh and Armenia,” he added. “They have organized broad public discussions not only on legal matters but also on politically and militarily sensitive issues. Thanks to their dedicated public work, accurate information about the war has reached not only the Armenian diaspora but also the international community. These efforts are invaluable.”

“Both the Human Rights Defender of Armenia and the Human Rights Defender of Artsakh, as Human Rights Defenders, have not once received even a hint from them that the scale of necessary support is enormous, ranging from highly complex professional analyses to support in translating reports and statements into English. Despite the significant burden of their primary work in the US and the considerable time difference with California and Chicago, their responses to our requests have followed within minutes and even seconds,” he mentioned.

“Karo Ghazaryan and Garnik Kherkonyan today continue to provide us with round-the-clock support on all issues (official letters and persistent assistance with the return of prisoners, documentation of Azerbaijani war crimes, and other matters). It is particularly important that, being practicing lawyers in the US, they utilize their practical knowledge and experience to support us. Our partners did exactly the same during the April 2016, July 2020, and all other military operations.”

“The role of the co-chairs of the Armenian Rights Watch Committee is also invaluable in improving the human rights system in Armenia. In particular, every gathering, police actions, the rights of children and women, service members, or any other issue related to human rights is always under their direct attention. Each time, through public responses and professional analyses, they have only assisted both the Human Rights Defender of Armenia and the Government in finding correct solutions to these issues, adjusting those solutions to align with international best practices. Their traditional visits to Armenia and Artsakh are primarily utilized to discuss these issues and find solutions to them.”

“Moreover, all these efforts are continuously undertaken by Mr. Karo Ghazaryan and Garnik Kherkonyan in other countries to protect the rights of Armenians—from the Middle East to Europe and from South America to the US and beyond. Our Armenian-American partners also conduct active teaching and training work both in the US and in Armenia and Artsakh. For example, Karo Ghazaryan has been the dean of a California law school for 22 years, a law professor, and has also taught investigative methods for the FBI. During this war, Garnik Kherkonyan filed a lawsuit on behalf of Artsakh in the federal court in Washington, DC.”

“But most importantly, Mr. Ghazaryan and Mr. Kherkonyan have provided training for the staff of the Armenian Human Rights Defender, particularly related to practical issues of protecting human rights during criminal investigations and international experiences. They have played a major role in the creation of a legal clinic at Artsakh State University in November 2017, facilitating the training of specialists under modern conditions.”

“I express my sincere gratitude to our esteemed partners who continue to spare no effort and enthusiasm, especially in this difficult post-war period, in the matter of protecting the rights of our compatriots. Their years of support is a real example of what cooperation should look like between the diaspora and Armenia and Artsakh.”