Background

In Avanesyan v Armenia [2021] ECHR 659, Mr Avanesyan was born in Askeran in the unrecognised “Nagorno Karabakh Republic” and at the material time lived there. He was an Armenian national and had held an Armenian passport since 2012 [5]. In 2014 he was called up for compulsory military service in Nagorno Karabakh [6] He explained that as a Jehovah’s Witness his conscience did not allow him to serve in the army and he wished to perform alternative civilian service instead [7]. Continue reading →