Armenia: Current treatment of Russian-speaking Jews and available protection to the members of that community
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 May 1999 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | AMN31856.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Armenia: Current treatment of Russian-speaking Jews and available protection to the members of that community, 1 May 1999, AMN31856.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ac257c.html [accessed 26 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
No information on the current treatment of Russian-speaking Jews could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
However, an Union of Councils for Soviet Jews (UCSJ) note to a 10 October 1997 report from Yerevan published on the UCSJ Website states that:
The Armenian parliament was deciding last spring [1997] whether to ratify a pact that would allow Russian military bases on Armenian soil. The pact was ratified overwhelmingly, with only four votes opposed. Yet these four votes provoked an antisemitic statement by the Vice Speaker, which in turn prompted some newspapers to question the integrity of Armenia's Jews, who, according to the American Joint Distribution Committee, number only 300 in a total population of 3.5 million.
Based on that incident, the author of the article concludes that hatred is on the rise in Armenia.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
Reference
Danielan, Mikael. 10 October 1997. Report from Yerevan: An Armenian Journalist Discusses 'The Jewish Problem' in Armenia. Washington, DC: Union of Councils for Soviet Jews (UCSJ). [Internet]
Additional Sources Consulted
Electronic sources: IRB databases, LEXIS/NEXIS, WNC.
Human Rights Watch (HRW). World Report 1999.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) Website.
International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF). March 1999. Report to the OSCE Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting on Freedom of Religion held in Vienna on 22 March 1999, entitled Religious Discrimination and Other Violations 1999 which covers 18 Eastern Europe and CIS countries.
International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF) Website.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) Website.
REFWORLD. 28 July 1999 version on CD-ROM.
Transitions [Prague]. Website.
