The Chairman of the Chamber of Advocates of RA Ara Zohrabyan and Kotayk’s marzpet Romanos Petrosyan signed a memorandum of understanding on 17 October 2018.

Within the framework of the memorandum, the Parties intend to cooperate in implementation of awareness raising programs for the residents of the marz (region), providing free and effective legal aid.

Welcoming the representatives of the Chamber of Advocates of RA, Kotayk’s marzpet said: “By signing a joint memorandum with the Chamber of Advocates in this area, we clearly state that one of the steps which is at least a technical necessity for raising awareness. The goal is clear: make the advocate’s institute accessible and the public defender’s service reachable in the marz for the group of people defined by law.” 

The Chairman of the Chamber of Advocates Ara Zohrabyan thanked for the efforts to launch the cooperation and stated that the memorandum will contribute to raising public awareness.   “We would like to contribute to the progress of the legal culture by this cooperation. We all know very well, that the person and his/her rights and freedoms are the highest value recognized by the state. And in this regard, I think, all our efforts should be directed to prioritizing the person and protecting their rights and freedoms” pointed out Ara Zohrabyan.

 According to the memorandum, Kotayk Regional Administration will provide a free space in its administrative building to place Hrazdan center of the public defender’s office of the Chamber of Advocates of RA. With the consent of the parties, those advocates of the marz, who do not have their own area for advocacy activities, also have the right to use this area.

The Chamber of Advocates of RA, in its turn, expressed readiness to equip the territory with necessary property and equipment to insure public defenders and advocates proper work process.  

The Memorandum of Understanding envisages organizing workshops in the high schools of the marz in order to inform the students about Human Rights and to familiarize them with the basics of the advocate’s profession. Free legal consultation will be organized for the residents of the marz at least once a month through the public defenders and the advocates who use the area in the administrative building.

The Parties agreed to discuss the matters referring free legal consultation and providing an area for similar cases in other cities of the marz (Abovyan and Yeghvard) as well.  

It should be mentioned that 6 public defenders work in the marz.