Who Will Be Considered Missing in Armenia: Galyan

In Armenia, a missing person will be considered a military serviceman or a person who is not in military service, including a volunteer who has disappeared in the conditions created as a result of military operations or in peaceful conditions following a ceasefire or subsequent military operations. This was stated by the Minister of Justice, Surbhi Galyan, during the regular meeting of the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Defense and Security, while presenting the draft law on "Missing Persons in the Conditions and Circumstances Created as a Result of Military Operations."

She noted that until now, the legal relations of missing persons have not been comprehensively regulated, and key issues regarding the circle of individuals involved have remained entirely open. For this reason, the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia has decided to develop a separate framework law that will regulate all these issues, primarily identifying who is considered a missing person.

The minister also presented several important provisions set out in the draft law. For example, the search for a missing person stops when their location or burial place, or the location of their bodily remains is clarified, provided that this information is promptly noted in the newly created registry within three days.

“If a missing person is declared deceased by a court decision but their body has not been found, the search will not cease. The National Security Service is designated as the authorized body for matters concerning missing persons. The service will carry out the coordination of works related to missing persons, information acquisition, collection, search, and communication with family members,” Galyan emphasized.

She also mentioned the support that family members of the missing will receive. Thus, in the event of a prolonged illness or death of a family member, the state may provide them with a one-time monetary assistance payment once a year. If the family of the missing person lacks housing or resides in a building classified as a fourth-level emergency structure, the state may allocate housing to them as property or provide financial means for purchasing a residence.

Furthermore, family members of the missing person will be able to benefit from various tax and educational privileges, as well as receive additional financial support.

The draft law on "Missing Persons in the Conditions and Circumstances Created as a Result of Military Operations" received a positive conclusion with a unanimous vote during the committee meeting and was included in the agenda of the National Assembly plenum.

It should be noted that according to official statistics, from 1988 to 2005, a total of 437 people were reported missing on the Armenian side, including 224 military servicemen and 213 civilians. During the 44-day war of 2020, 191 individuals are considered missing. Furthermore, after the explosion at the fuel depot in Stepanakert immediately following the Azerbaijani aggression against Artsakh in September 2023, 22 individuals are reported missing.