ROUND-TABLE ON THE PROBLEMS OF FORMER PRISONERS OF WAR

NKR MFA Web-site

On November 13, in Stepanakert, the Karabakh non-governmental
organization “Center of Civil Initiatives” (CCI) held a ’round-table’
called “The Problem of the Adaptation, Social Rehabilitation and
Reintegration of Former Prisonersof War and Hostages into the Society
in the Context of the Karabakh Conflict”. Leaders of the NKR
non-governmental organizations, representatives of the Parliament and
Government, a priest, journalists, psychologists, lawyers,
sociologists, and former prisoners of war took part in the
’round-table’.

CCI Director Albert Voskanian introduced the programs on the
rehabilitation of former prisoners of war and hostages implemented in
Nagorno Karabakh. In particular, he noted that under the aegis of the
International Working Group on the Search of Missing People, Liberated
Prisoners of War and Hostages (IWG), and “The Center of Civil
Initiatives”, a group of former prisoners of war, hostages and their
family members studied computer, got legal consultationsof qualified
lawyers, had talks with priests and ICRC representatives,
etc. According to Albert Voskanian, in the frameworks of the mentioned
programs, about 60 people got juridical and psychological aid in
Karabakh.

In the course of the discussion, factors hampering the full
rehabilitation and reintegration of former prisoners of war and
hostages into the society were noted, issues of rendering actual
assistance to psychologically vulnerable citizens, as well as the
problem’s legal aspects were discussed. The importance of the
cooperation between the governmental and non-governmental
organizations in implementing adaptation programs was emphasized.