29.09.2000, MEDIAMAX, YEREVAN. United Nations High Commissariat for Refugees (UNHCR) Yerevan office spread a statement today, declaring about the support to the interests of Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan, who have been holding a protest demonstration in front of UN office in Yerevan since September 25.
UNHCR representative in Armenia Tomas Birat met with the demonstrators. During the meeting, which lasted about an hour and a half, the demonstrators presented to Mr. Birat their demands, which were to give them financial and judicial assistance for moving to any of the European countries. According to demonstrators, their decision is caused by the hard social-economic situation in the country.
But, as Mr. Birat said, according to the norms of the international law concerning the refugees status, people, who have got a refugee status and enjoy nearly all the rights of the citizens of this country, can't move to any other country, and so the UN High Commissar for Refugees is not competent to render them assistance in this matter.
Chief of UN Legal Department, Lawrence McBanksony also met with the demonstrators, but the refugees refused to leave the territory near the UN office and continued the demonstration. -0-