As a result of the large-scale attack launched by Azerbaijani armed forces against Artsakh in September 2023, Gayane and her family were forced to leave their home in Artsakh. This attack, characterized as an attempt at ethnic cleansing, compelled over one hundred thousand Artsakh Armenians to undergo forced displacement to save their lives. Upon arriving in Armenia, Gayane's family, like other displaced persons, faced numerous challenges, the most serious of which was insufficient social assistance.

"The social assistance provided to us was only 10,000 drams," Gayane recounts. "That amount was barely enough to pay for utilities, and we still had to pay for rent."

The situation became more complicated when they were denied additional assistance on the grounds that the family owned property. However, this "property" was a dilapidated building where it was impossible to live.

Desperate but unbroken in this difficult situation, Gayane turned to the "Armenian Lawyers Association" (ALA) non-governmental organization. With the support of the European Union, ALA implements the "Strengthening Protection Mechanisms for the Rights of Forcibly Displaced Persons from Nagorno-Karabakh" project, which aims to protect the rights of Artsakh Armenians in this disastrous situation.

Mariana Avagyan, a lawyer for the ALA project, who was also forcibly displaced from Artsakh in 2023 due to the Azerbaijani attack, immediately took on Gayane's case. Mariana personally knew the difficulties faced by displaced families. "Gayane's case clearly shows how important our work is," notes Mariana. "I have gone through this difficult path myself and understand how important it is for each family to receive the necessary support in this crisis situation."

With Mariana's help, Gayane began to gather the necessary documents and evidence. Despite numerous obstacles, they did not give up. Thanks to the persistent work of the team of lawyers, state bodies reconsidered their decision.

As a result, the amount of support provided to Gayane's family increased, reaching 50,000 drams. "At that moment, I realized that we could start rebuilding our lives, although the pain of loss is still great," Gayane says emotionally.

This story demonstrates how ALA, in collaboration with the NGO Network for the Protection of the Rights of Forcibly Displaced Persons from Artsakh, works to protect the rights of Artsakh Armenians during this difficult period.

"Our goal is not only to help in individual cases but also to achieve systemic changes," explains Mariana. "The Platform for the Protection of Artsakh Armenians' Rights serves as a vital link between forcibly displaced persons from Artsakh and legal assistance."

ALA calls on all Artsakh Armenians to use the Platform for the Protection of Artsakh Armenians' Rights to protect their rights. "Together we can achieve justice and protect our rights," Mariana concludes.