The Standing Committee on Defense and Security Affairs of Armenia’s National Assembly has approved a bill titled “On Persons Missing in Circumstances Arising from Military Operations,” introduced by Justice Minister Srbuhi Galyan. The draft law formally defines the term “missing person” and establishes the legal status, rights, and protections for such individuals and their families.
Minister Galyan noted that Armenia currently lacks a comprehensive legal framework to regulate the rights and procedures concerning people who go missing during or due to military actions. Existing provisions are scattered and inconsistent across various legal acts.
“Therefore, a standalone, comprehensive law is needed to ensure full legal regulation of the issue,” she said.
The proposed legislation applies to both servicemembers and civilians, including volunteers, who went missing during combat, military duties, special missions, or even in post-war peace conditions or during ceasefires.
The bill outlines the rights of missing persons and their families, such as:
- Access to accurate information about the cause and circumstances of disappearance.
- The right to know the location of remains and funeral sites in case of death.
- The right to receive the body or human remains.
The bill also regulates how to file a request for search, how searches are conducted, and under what conditions they are concluded. Requests may be submitted by family members, state institutions, or NGOs, and are registered in a centralized Missing Persons Registry.
The designated authority, proposed to be Armenia’s National Security Service, will manage search operations, collect and verify data, communicate with families, and handle identification.
Searches are to be stopped within three days after locating the missing person, their burial site, or remains. However, if the individual is legally declared deceased without remains being found, the search continues.
The registry will be accessible to families and relevant state and local authorities. The bill also proposes a range of social support measures, such as:
- One-time financial assistance for families.
- Housing support.
- Educational benefits.
- Pensions and allowances.
- Tax breaks and psychosocial support.
Additionally, investigators will be allowed to request phone and location data via court orders to improve the effectiveness of search efforts.
Minister Galyan added that the bill was developed through multiple discussions with government agencies, families of missing persons, NGOs, and the Red Cross, and their suggestions were integrated into the final draft.
